Author: Momo Chan

I had just been released after serving three years in prison for my wife. To my shock, Olivia had given my position as vice president to Ryan, her old flame. When I confronted her about it, Olivia’s expression was cold. “You’ve been to prison. I should have fired you, but Ryan pleaded on your behalf, so I kept a position for you,” she said dismissively. “Do your job well and don’t cause any more trouble for him.” The “position” she referred to was as a janitor cleaning toilets in the company. That night, I knelt at my parents’ graves. During those three years, my father had passed away from a stroke, and my mother followed soon after. I never got to see them one last time, and now the company had been taken from me as well. As I was repenting for my mistakes, I discovered a phone hidden near the tombstone. The videos on it contained evidence that Olivia had conspired with Ryan to frame me and send me to jail, and then caused my parents’ deaths. Leaving the cemetery, I numbly dialed a number. “Mr. Thompson, I’ve made up my mind. I agree to transfer my shares to you to help you take control of the company.”

“That’s wonderful news, my boy! With your help, we’ll certainly be able to set the company straight and fulfill your parents’ wishes,” Mr. Thompson replied enthusiastically. I kept my voice steady. “Good. Pleasure doing business with you.” Just as I hung up, Olivia opened the car door and approached me. “Who were you talking to?” she asked suspiciously. “Nothing important, just a telemarketer,” I lied smoothly. Olivia didn’t seem to care about my response. Her gaze was fixed on the cemetery behind me. “Why did you come here?” she asked. “I came to visit my parents,” I explained. “Their passing was so sudden. I never got to say goodbye, so I wanted to pay my respects.” Olivia visibly relaxed, no longer concerned. She simply said “Oh” and urged me to leave quickly. As we got in the car, I studied Olivia. Since my release, she had been cold towards me. Yet today, after I’d only been at the cemetery for a short while, she had rushed over, even driving here herself to pick me up. Her unusual attentiveness only confirmed my suspicions about the video’s authenticity. On the drive back, Olivia probed to see what I knew. Once satisfied that I had simply come to visit my parents and knew nothing else, she dropped her facade of warmth. “Jack, I know you used to be the company’s vice president when your parents were alive. But they’re gone now, and you’ve been to prison. The company decided to appoint Ryan as VP,” she said coldly. “Don’t take out your frustrations on Ryan. Go apologize to him right away.” Earlier that afternoon, at the company’s year-end party, Ryan and I had both fallen into the swimming pool. Olivia immediately accused me of pushing Ryan in out of resentment for taking my position. I tried to explain that Ryan had actually pushed me, and asked them to check the security cameras to prove my innocence. But Olivia just frowned. “That won’t be necessary.” “Jack, I can’t believe you’re still so petty, deliberately pushing Ryan into the pool and then trying to frame him!” she scolded. Olivia was about to say more, but Ryan grabbed her wrist. “It’s okay, I’m fine,” he said smoothly. “Jack was probably just upset. He might have seen wrong – I actually slipped and fell into the pool accidentally, and Jack got pulled in with me.” Ryan’s false generosity only further condemned me. Olivia’s indulgence of Ryan nailed me to a pillar of shame. And now, she was demanding I apologize to Ryan. I turned to look out the window. “Did you check the security footage?” I asked quietly. Olivia slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. She glared at me in disgust. “Jack, you really never learn, do you?” “Get out! Walk the rest of the way home and think about what you’ve done.” Olivia sped off, leaving me standing there. I watched the car disappear, then took out my phone to call Mr. Thompson again. “I can sign the share transfer contract today,” I said decisively.

Mr. Thompson offered me a lump sum of $300 million for my shares. As I stared at the transfer contract, my mind went blank. These shares were the last thing my parents had left me. Thinking I was having second thoughts, Mr. Thompson tried to persuade me. “Jack, my boy, I’ve known you since you were little. You don’t know what that woman Olivia has done to the company in the three years you were… away,” he said gravely. “After your father passed, she’s driven away almost all of us old-timers from the company.” “I’m not trying to cause trouble between you and your wife. I’ve just seen too much in my life. All I can say is, be careful of Olivia. She’s not a simple character.” My parents had warned me about her too. But back then, I was madly in love with Olivia and didn’t take their words to heart. Now I was paying the price, and it had cost my parents their lives. I let out a bitter laugh. “I understand, Uncle. But Thompson. Don’t worry, I won’t make the same mistakes again.” Mr. Thompson said we should wait until the shareholders’ meeting next week to reveal the share transfer. For this week, I needed to keep it secret from Olivia to prevent her from interfering with our plans if she found out about the shares. After setting the time, I returned home. It was already night. Olivia assumed I had actually walked all the way back, and looked at me with disgust when she saw me. She was still angry, waiting for me to apologize and make amends. But I was too exhausted. After learning my parents had been killed by her, I didn’t want to see her at all. Olivia waited and waited, but I didn’t bow my head to her. As I was about to enter the bedroom, she angrily threw clothes and bedding at my face. “You can come back when you’ve apologized to Ryan!” she snapped. “Take your things and get out. I don’t want to see you!” Clothes and blankets rained down on me as Olivia slammed the bedroom door shut in frustration. I stood there for a moment, then turned and went to the guest room without hesitation. Before going to sleep, I opened my phone and saw Ryan’s SnapChat post from that afternoon. “When you’re sick and someone brings you care and medicine, that’s the one to marry.” The photo showed Olivia’s back. Olivia had commented with a shy emoji. In the comments, many familiar names were cheering them on – our mutual friends, college classmates, former coworkers… Everyone seemed to have forgotten my existence, tacitly expressing their blessings for this new “couple.” I hit the like button and turned off my phone to sleep. The next morning, Olivia had the housekeeper buy breakfast from a famous old restaurant. Seeing me sit down, she proudly placed a crab roe bun in front of me. She cleared her throat, her expression haughty. “I bought this specially for you. Didn’t you like these? Eat up.” I didn’t touch it, only sipping the plain porridge the housekeeper had made. Olivia rarely lowered her head to me, but I wasn’t playing along as she had imagined. Her expression changed slightly as she tossed her chopsticks on the table. “I’ve already let the incident with Ryan go, and I’m taking the initiative to make peace. What more do you want?” she said icily. I looked at her face, angry yet tinged with grievance, and replied expressionlessly: “I’m allergic to seafood. I’ve never eaten crab roe buns.” Olivia’s expression turned awkward as she finally remembered it was Ryan who liked crab roe buns, not me. “Well… the housekeeper must have bought the wrong thing. But I’m already extending an olive branch. Do you have to fixate on this?” she said defensively. I put down my spoon, unable to hold back asking, “What are you in such a rush about?” “Yes, I went to prison for a few years. I can’t be VP anymore after getting out, but I can still like a SnapChat post, can’t I? Why are you acting so strange?” “What are you talking about? What do you mean you went to prison for me? That was your own doing. Don’t try to drag me into it,” Olivia snapped, suddenly standing up. She glanced nervously at the housekeeper’s questioning look and hurriedly sent her out.

Once we were alone, Olivia frowned and berated me: “That’s all in the past now. Why bring it up when there are others around?” “Why can’t I bring it up?” I countered. “Back then, you begged me. You said the police were framing you, that the company accounts were definitely clean. You said I just needed to go to the station for a few days and I’d be back soon.” “To make me believe you, you even married me.” “But you didn’t tell me I’d have to stay in prison for three years.” Three years. When I got out, everything had changed. My parents were gone. Olivia had taken over the company. I was stripped of my position and could only work as a janitor cleaning toilets. Olivia opened her mouth, seeming about to explain something. But I didn’t want to hear it. I turned and went to the bedroom, taking out a box with only one condom left inside. “There’s a whole drawer full in the guest room. I don’t know which of you bought them, but remember to put them away,” I said, tossing the box in front of Olivia. Olivia’s face flashed with shock. She angrily threw the box in the trash. “Jack! I was wrong about what happened back then. But do you have to dig all this up just because you’re jealous?” she snapped. “There’s nothing between Ryan and me. Even yesterday, I only went to see him because you pushed him in the water and made him sick. I was checking on him for your sake.” “As for these… things, I have no idea where they came from!” Olivia watched my cold expression, unsure if I believed her or not. She suggested we go to work together. Although Olivia had taken over the company using her status as my wife, after I got out of prison, she refused to go to work with me. At the company, she made no effort to hide her rapport and intimacy with Ryan. Now, few people in the company took my marriage to Olivia seriously. Everyone thought I should divorce Olivia and let her be with Ryan. Thinking of this, my face darkened. Perhaps it was time to put divorce on the agenda. “Olivia, we should—” I began. Before I could finish, Olivia’s phone rang. She answered it and walked away without a backward glance. “There’s an emergency at the company. I have to go. We’ll go to work together another day,” she called over her shoulder. Olivia had broken her word and left again. But I was no longer hurt by her every move like before. Thinking about divorce, I let out a sigh. Never mind. There were still five days until the shareholders’ meeting. I’d bring up divorce then. Half an hour later, I drove myself to the company. The person Ryan had arranged was waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he deliberately spilled coffee on the floor. “Oops, so sorry about that. Jack, could you clean this up? And the meeting room needs to be tidied quickly too – we’ll be using it for a meeting soon.” With that, he sauntered off smugly. I finished mopping the floor and pushed open the meeting room door with my broom and mop, only to find the room full of people. Seeing me in such a sorry state, Olivia frowned in disgust and gestured for her assistant to get rid of me. As the door closed, I caught Ryan’s undisguised smirk. I finally understood this was a trap he had deliberately set for me. Sure enough, after the meeting Olivia immediately summoned me to her office. “Jack, can’t you do your job properly? Didn’t anyone tell you that during meetings, non-essential personnel aren’t allowed in?” she scolded. “Did you turn stupid in prison? Can’t you remember such a simple thing?” The office fell silent. Olivia belatedly realized she had mentioned something she shouldn’t have. She stumbled over her words, “I… I didn’t mean… I meant…” “I understand,” I cut her off. “Do you have any other instructions? If not, I’ll get back to work.” Watching me turn to leave, Olivia called out hesitantly, “Don’t you have anything to explain?” “No,” I replied simply. It’s not like anyone would believe me anyway.

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Ten years after marriage, I, once diagnosed as infertile, became pregnant. The day after I found out about my pregnancy, Alexander Wilson brazenly brought home his female secretary. When my father learned of this, he flew into a rage and sent her to Poland, urging Alexander to come to his senses. Alexander said nothing. Instead, he turned around and bankrupted my family’s company, forcing my father to commit suicide by jumping off a building. My mother, unable to bear the shock, was admitted to the ICU. Then he forced me to take abortion pills and coldly said: “Olivia Johnson, I must have been too good to you before, making you take me for granted.” “Consider this child a lesson for driving Isabelle away.” I lay in a pool of blood, looking up at the man beside me. After ten years of marriage, for the first time, I saw clearly what kind of demon was in front of me. Alexander leaned down and gripped my chin, questioning me again: “I’ll ask you one last time, where did you hide Isabelle?” “Your mother is still in the ICU. Think carefully before you answer.” The tearing pain in my lower body had already made me delirious. Hearing the word “mother”, I finally came to my senses. “You have to promise to spare my mom.” He laughed coldly: “Do you think you’re in any position to negotiate?” “If you don’t tell me, I’ll stop paying for the ICU.” After saying this, he stood up straight, disgustedly wiping the hand that had gripped my chin with a handkerchief. Tears blurred my vision, just as they had all these years looking at Alexander. Before this, I could never have imagined. That Alexander could be so cruel to me. Forcing my father to death. Killing our child. Using my mother to threaten me into revealing his mistress’s whereabouts. All the past seemed like a dream. Now that I’ve woken up, I finally face the cruel reality. He coldly watched as I bled profusely, as I cried uncontrollably. No longer daring to gamble with my mother’s life, I still gave him the answer. “She’s in Poland.” After getting my answer, Alexander immediately strode out of the bedroom without looking at me again. At the moment he left, I saw Alexander’s upturned lips. His wife was dying, yet he was delighted to know his mistress’s whereabouts. I laughed miserably, gradually losing consciousness. When I woke up, I saw a pure white ceiling above me. Did someone send me to the hospital? I thought hazily. Just now, the doctor informed me of the news of my miscarriage. He said my body was too damaged, and I would never be able to have children again. I gently stroked my belly, which was still flat, with no sign that there had once been a life inside. The child I had longed for for so long was now gone, taken away by its own father. It wasn’t until Mrs. Wang, the housekeeper, came to see me that I learned it was she who found me unconscious and sent me to the hospital. Mrs. Wang said I had been in a coma for three whole days. She wiped her tears: “The master has been away and hasn’t come to see you.” I laughed coldly inside. Where else could Alexander be? Of course, he must have rushed off to pick up his dear Isabelle. After Mrs. Wang left, I ran out to find my mother’s ICU, ignoring the pain in my body. In the intensive care unit, my mother lay pale and weak, with tubes all over her body. After my father’s suicide, my mother’s hair had turned white overnight. Looking at my mother before me, I collapsed to the ground, crying. It was my poor judgment that caused them to end up like this. When my mother gets better, I want to divorce Alexander. The Wilson family and my family were originally upper-class families that would never have crossed paths. But when I met Alexander, I had no idea of his identity. Later, when my parents found out, they worried that the gap between our families was too great, and I might be bullied if I married him. If things really went wrong, they wouldn’t even be able to stand up for me. At that time, I was absolutely certain of Alexander’s love for me. I said Alexander loved me like his life, and would never let me suffer even the slightest grievance. He would remember every anniversary, spending two months making handmade gifts for me. He introduced me to all his close family and friends, telling them that meeting me was the greatest blessing of his life. Every date hadn’t even ended before he started saying he missed me. He would tell me he loved me every morning, noon, and night, never tiring of it after so many years of marriage. Whenever we were out, if someone looked at me for too long, he would be jealous for half the day. Back then he said: “Olivia, I must have done a lot of good deeds in my past life to deserve your love in this life.” Even though I was by his side every day, he would still ask me to say I loved him over and over again. I once thought I had married the right person and would grow old with my beloved. But Isabelle’s arrival shattered this illusory bubble.

Isabelle Taylor, a graduate from a prestigious university, showed exceptional work ability as soon as she joined Alexander’s company, despite being new to the workplace. So when Alexander first mentioned her, I was happy for him that he had found such a talent. I never imagined that in just three months, she would become Alexander’s personal secretary. Alexander took her to the Sky Garden, took her on his private yacht. He took her hiking on Wugong Mountain, took her to see Zhangjiajie. All the places he had and hadn’t been with me, he took Isabelle to every single one. When Isabelle was forced to drink by a business partner, Alexander lost his temper for the first time and cut off all business ties between the two companies. I finally realized something was wrong and hired a private investigator to look into it. By then, they were no longer hiding it, kissing in public. With the photos and videos sent by the detective, I slapped Alexander for the first time. But Alexander just looked at me coldly and said I was ungrateful. “Olivia Johnson, what are you fighting for against a 20-year-old girl?” “You’ve been married into the Wilson family for so many years, when will you grow up a little?” I never thought there would be a day when I would hear such words from Alexander’s mouth. No wonder Isabelle looked so much like me. It turns out all his love, all his devotion, was only for a 20-year-old girl. And my twenties had passed ten years ago. Just as I had made up my mind to divorce, I found out I was pregnant. Over the years, I had made many efforts to have a child but to no avail. This sudden child gave me new hope. I thought, even if he didn’t love me anymore, Alexander would surely love his own child. I should try again for the sake of the child, to save my family. But before I could do anything, Alexander brought Isabelle home. When my father found out, he sent people to drive her to Poland. He said he would give Alexander one last chance, otherwise we would divorce. No one could have imagined that Alexander would go so crazy for Isabelle. My more than ten years of feelings with Alexander couldn’t compare to one of Isabelle’s fingers. He didn’t even care about his own child. After my body recovered for two days, I went to a law firm. But as soon as they heard Alexander Wilson’s name, no one dared to take on this commission. “Mrs. Johnson, it’s not that we want to refuse the commission.” “It’s just that Mr. Wilson’s company has a top-notch legal team, we have no chance of winning.” I hadn’t thought of this aspect. But there was no use troubling the lawyers, I could only leave helplessly. After marriage, Alexander said he couldn’t bear to see me work hard, that I only needed to be the pampered Mrs. Wilson. I believed his lies and was a housewife for ten years. And all my social circles came from him, I couldn’t find anyone to help. Alexander now loves Isabelle, and after bringing her back, he should be eager to give her status. Perhaps I just need to wait for him to speak first. Back at the villa, I started packing the things I wanted to take away. After packing for half a day, I found that the things that only related to me were pitifully few. The gifts Alexander gave me almost filled my room. In the end, I only put clothes and documents in my suitcase. My body was already weak, and before the sun had set, I had collapsed on the sofa.

I don’t know when I fell asleep. When I was awakened by the sound of the door opening, my head was still groggy. But the next second I woke up. Alexander had come back, holding hands tightly with Isabelle. Compared to the last time I saw her, the woman looked even more beautiful, as if she had been well-nourished. The clothes she wore were of the same quality as mine, obviously from the same master’s hand. And on her neck, she wore the auction piece from a while ago – the diamond necklace called “Heart of the Deep Sea”, said to be the only one in the world. It seems Alexander has been treating her well these past few days. I just didn’t expect them to come back so soon. I suddenly felt my throat go dry. Facing Alexander again, what rose in my heart was actually hatred. Before I could react, Alexander had already brought Isabelle in front of me. He naturally brushed away the stray hairs on Isabelle’s forehead, his eyes full of tenderness. When he turned his face, his expression had already cooled: “Olivia Johnson, apologize to Isabelle.” He cut off my escape route, forced my father to death, forcibly aborted my child, and caused my mother to be admitted to the ICU. Now, he wanted me to apologize to his mistress. I couldn’t understand, really couldn’t understand. Why could Alexander be so cruel to me, to this wife who had loved him for thirteen years? Seeing no reaction from me, Alexander yanked me up from the sofa, forcing my head to face Isabelle. “I said, apologize to Isabelle.” “Don’t make me say it a third time.” Alexander’s tone became impatient. He was a successful businessman with many tactics for dealing with opponents. I just never thought these tactics would one day be used on me. Isabelle bit her lower lip, lowering her eyes. Seeing that I still wouldn’t speak after a long time, she timidly glanced at me and spoke with a grieved tone: “Alexander, don’t be like this.” “It’s right for Sister Olivia to despise me, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t have fallen in love with you.” She said this, but I clearly saw the challenge in her eyes. Alexander became even more pitying towards her, lightly patting her hand to comfort her. When he looked at me again, his eyes had already become dangerous. Thinking of my mother still in the ICU, I still lowered my head. Bending my body to a 90-degree angle, I sincerely apologized to Isabelle: “I’m sorry, Miss Taylor, my family shouldn’t have treated you like that.” “Please forgive me.” Isabelle pretended to be surprised, covering her mouth and waving her hands saying it was okay. After saying this, she turned to Alexander and pouted: “Alexander, I want to rest for a bit, can I?”

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In my previous life, I chose the leopard-man, while my cousin got the merman. The leopard-man fell deeply in love with my cousin. He watched coldly as I was torn to pieces, then used the crystal earned from my life to curry favor with her. In my last life, I stayed away from the leopard-man and chose the merman instead. Little did I know that the merman would also be attracted to my cousin. He conspired with her to drown me, then threw himself into her arms. Now I’ve been reborn again. Faced with these two beast-men that my mother strongly recommends, I don’t want to choose either of them. Just as I’m struggling with how to choose, a black shadow flashes by my side. Overjoyed, I catch it and declare on the spot: “I want this one!” Then without waiting for anyone’s reaction, I quickly form a contract with it. “Damn it!” As the silver light symbolizing the completed contract flashes, a voice simultaneously echoes in my mind. “Contracting with me, are you trying to die again?” My cousin Lily is a year younger than me. She should have chosen her beast-man a year later, but she was so favored by the family elders that she persuaded them to let her choose a year early. To choose at the same time as me. Of the two beast-men my mother had carefully selected for me, one would now have to go to my cousin. “Aria, just choose whichever one you want,” my mother said. That’s exactly what I did two lives ago. I chose the leopard-man, who had the strongest speed and power in the family, while my cousin got the merman. But after contracting with me, the leopard-man was always in poor condition. I thought he just needed time to adjust, so I wanted to give him some time. But I never expected that after watching me be torn to pieces by other beast-men, the leopard-man would leap up and quickly kill them with a strength I had never seen before. He looked at my corpse without any remorse: “The biggest mistake you made was choosing me, making me miss out on Lily.” It turned out the leopard-man had always liked my cousin, and even resented me for it. So in my last life, after being reborn, I chose the merman without hesitation. The merman had a gentle personality, surely he couldn’t do anything to me. But I never imagined that the merman would also fall in love with Lily. For her sake, the supposedly gentle merman tricked me to the waters where he grew up and conspired with his people to drown me. After my death, he sat by the water, eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, but I really like Lily. I like her to the point of madness.” This time, I’ve been reborn again. Directly reborn to the moment of choosing a beast-man. Right now, the family elders are impatiently urging me: “Aria, how long are you going to dawdle? Lily is still waiting behind you!” I looked at the fierce-looking leopard-man, then glanced at the merman who was secretly looking at Lily, and my head started to ache. I quietly asked my mother if I could not choose. Mother firmly said: “No.” “Aria, are you worried about their strength? These are the ones I personally selected. This leopard-man is the most talented genius in history in terms of speed and strength, while the merman is the prince of their clan, with a high chance of becoming the Merman King in the future.” The situation was urgent, and I had no way to explain to my mother what had happened to me. “Aria, just choose. Lily can only have the one you don’t pick.” Mother’s eyes swept around, her words full of intimidation. “I know many people in the family look down on me, but they don’t have the power to make decisions over me yet.” But even though mother said this, I couldn’t not choose a beast-man. This was a long-standing rule in our magical family. Every member needed to choose a beast-man at the contract ceremony. If I just left without following the rules, my mother would definitely be harassed by those old geezers using this as an excuse. But these two beast-men wouldn’t stay with me wholeheartedly. As long as they fell in love with Lily, my life would still be in danger. Just as I was struggling with which beast-man would be easier to deal with. A black shadow flashed by. Long and thin, extremely fast, no one noticed it except me. A small snake of unknown species that couldn’t shapeshift, but with the unique magical fluctuations of a beast-man. Overjoyed, I caught it and announced on the spot: “I want this one!” Then without waiting for anyone’s reaction, I quickly formed a contract with it. “Damn it!” As the silver light symbolizing the completed contract flashed, a voice simultaneously echoed in my mind. “Contracting with me, are you trying to die again?” When I opened my eyes, everyone was looking at me with various expressions. Lily couldn’t contain her excitement and said loudly: “Cousin, after all that fuss, you just chose a little broken snake?” An elder shouted in dissatisfaction: “Aria, this is the contract ceremony, are you mocking us?” I raised my hand to show them the faint silver mark on my wrist. them “How am I mocking you? Didn’t I contract a beast-man?” Seeing I mocking you? the unique imprint symbolizing the contract between our family and beast-men, they finally believed that the little snake in my hand was really a beast-man. They reluctantly shut up. Next it was Lily’s turn to choose a beast-man. Only then did I have time to pick up the little snake in an unnoticed place. “Just now you said ‘die again’, what did you mean by that?” “You have the nerve to ask?” The snake didn’t open its mouth, but its voice sounded directly in my mind. A magnetic, deep male voice, gritting his teeth. “My powers have plummeted, and I’m forcibly bound to you, unable to leave a single step.” “In your last life, and the life before that, you died twice, and I died with you twice!” “Each time, it was just when I was about to regain my peak power!” “This time I didn’t want to be manipulated by you anymore and was about to leave first, but you actually caught me and contracted with me?!” 2. “I see, so we have such a deep connection.” Thinking about how someone had been reborn with me twice, it was quite an amazing feeling. “Heh,” the little snake laughed dryly, “I don’t want this kind of connection.” “From now on, we’ll have to fight side by side, you must protect me.” “I’ll be lucky if I don’t kill you.” I looked towards Lily in the distance, who was looking back and forth between the leopard-man and the merman. “What do you think, who will she choose?” “How would I know?” “Then in your opinion, who is stronger?” The weak snake body twisted in my hand, but his commentary was ruthless. “They’re both weak.” I didn’t bother trying to get an answer from the little snake anymore and focused on Lily’s situation. But unexpectedly, she turned her head and looked at me. “Cousin, who do you think I should choose?” With these words, everyone in the scene fell silent, waiting for my answer. Whether Lily followed my advice or not, the one who wasn’t chosen would inevitably hate me to the bone. She was using me to draw hatred. I laughed coldly: “Why don’t you take both, cousin?” “These two beast-men are both so excellent, I’m sure you’d be willing to split your spirit power for them.” Actually, each member of our family could contract more than one beast-man. But contracting a beast-man required occupying spirit power in the mind sea. If one wanted to contract multiple beast-men, they would need to split off a new piece of spirit power from their original mind sea for each contract. Spirit power was similar to mental energy. Even a tiny bit of damage would make one feel their soul trembling, extremely painful. Not to mention forcibly splitting the originally whole spirit power into several pieces. Sure enough, as soon as I finished speaking, Lily’s face changed. She forcibly suppressed the unwillingness on her face and smiled: “I was just joking. Actually, I’ve already made my choice.” She walked towards the taller and stronger leopard-man, cut her fingertip, and dripped blood onto his lowered forehead. Silver light appeared, and the contract was formed. The leopard-man looked smugly at the dissatisfied merman prince, then knelt on one knee the next second. “I am Zack. I will protect you, forever and ever.” I sighed, couldn’t help but think of the past. He watched indifferently as I stood in front of him, single-handedly resisting the attacks of other beast-men. At that time, he wasn’t as devoted as he is now. “What a stupid woman,” the little snake said venomously. “If you couldn’t beat them, why didn’t you run?” “And didn’t you know he didn’t care about you and couldn’t wait for you to die?” “How was I supposed to know then!” I angrily retorted. “And once we formed a contract, isn’t it natural to trust your partner with your back?” The little snake fell silent. After a long while, he reluctantly spoke: “I’m called Kieran.” The contract ceremony was over, and I was about to leave. I wanted to explain to my mother why I didn’t choose the beast-men she had prepared for me. But things weren’t over yet. The merman’s face was pale as he held Lily’s hand, giving her a pleading look. “You really don’t want me?” “I can use sound attacks, I can make people within a mile drop dead instantly.” “I can heal, as long as they’re not dead, I can save them.” Kieran laughed lightly: “That’s not all he’s best at.” I asked him what the merman was best at, but he clammed up again. But no matter how the merman begged, Lily still heartlessly let go of his hand. “I already have Zack.” “But you can contract two beast-men!” the merman said urgently. Lily shot me a hateful glance, blaming me for reminding the merman of this. How could she bear to go through the pain of splitting her spirit power? She violently shook off the merman’s hand, but still had to maintain her gentle and lovable image: “I’m sorry, I have enough with just Zack.” I was planning to make up a reason to explain to my mother why I didn’t choose the beast-men she had prepared for me. After all, rebirth wasn’t something that could be explained clearly in a short time. Not to mention being reborn twice. But she said: “If there’s something difficult to say, then you don’t need to explain. No matter what, I believe in my daughter.” In two rebirths, the only constant was that my mother always believed in me like this. I died inexplicably twice, I can’t imagine how painful it was for her. If only for my mother’s sake, I had to become stronger. Thinking of this, I looked firmly at Kieran. “Now that we’ve contracted, the next step is to train together.” Kieran was still as venomous as ever: “You think I need to train with you?” An incense stick later, he dragged his limp body and, under my coercion, said the words “I’m willing.” I bid farewell to my mother and took Kieran with me into the Trial Spirit Realm. 3. The Trial Spirit Realm was created in ancient times, forming its own small space with many rare magical beasts and treasures. I entered from the outer edges, starting by slaying the first magical beast, gradually moving inward. From initially being chased by magical beasts, to later being able to fight back, and finally being able to take on ten at once. Although Kieran was also busy improving his own cultivation, he didn’t stay with me, going out early and returning late every day, coming and going alone. But after two past lives, my bottom line for contracted beast-men had already dropped very low. As long as he didn’t kill me, it was fine if we weren’t together. Moreover, Kieran’s power increase also greatly benefited me as his contractor. Kieran transformed into human form in the third month. That night he came back earlier than usual. Seeing him appear, I dismissed the magical beasts that were massaging my legs and back, and took out the spirit fruit I had specially picked for him. “Come quickly, this Feather Spirit Fruit is most suitable for your snake clan to cultivate.” As I said this, I tried to stuff the Feather Spirit Fruit into his mouth. But before my hand could reach his mouth, a strange scene suddenly appeared before my eyes. A white mist spread out from nowhere. A hand with distinct knuckles reached out from the mist and grabbed my wrist. “Who told you I’m from the snake clan?” It was still Kieran’s magnetic voice. The difference was that he was now in human form. Dressed in black robes, tall and handsome features. He looked quite good-looking… “Fine, if you don’t want it, I’ll eat it myself.” I ignored the slight flutter in my heart and threw the Feather Spirit Fruit into my mouth. But unexpectedly, Kieran intercepted it halfway and stuffed it into his own mouth. What a fickle snake clan. After that, Kieran changed his attitude and always followed behind me, even when I wanted to use the bathroom… This was not good, because Kieran wouldn’t help me fight against magical beasts together. Under his powerful pressure, no magical beasts would even come near me. I helplessly protested to him. He thought for a moment and agreed to my request. After that, it became Kieran forcing a group of magical beasts to chase me, while I had to fight hard against a large group for self-preservation. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. All the magical beasts in the Trial Spirit Realm had been beaten by me and now bowed to me as their master. It was time to leave. On the day we left, I saw my mother’s figure at the entrance of the spirit realm from afar. “Mother!” I ran over excitedly. Mother looked me up and down, a smile of admiration on her lips: “Aria, you’ve improved a lot.” I leaned affectionately on my mother’s shoulder: “Of course, I am mother’s child after all.” The moment was peaceful, but suddenly an unpleasant voice sounded. It was Lily. “Cousin has indeed improved so quickly, you must have obtained many treasures in the Trial Spirit Realm.” Her eyes were evasive: “But cousin is the daughter of Aunt, the family leader, so these things are rightfully yours.” With Lily’s words, the eyes of the family members who came to greet me changed. As if my power increase was really due to my mother abusing her authority and giving me many benefits. I shook my head: “It seems cousin really doesn’t understand the Trial Spirit Realm.” “I stayed in the Trial Spirit Realm for half a year, creating the longest record in our family’s history, yet you still think my power increase was due to external objects.” Lily was used to pretending to be weak and innocent. In the past, I had never embarrassed her in public. Now her face looked very unpleasant, but I wasn’t finished. “Oh, I just remembered, cousin hasn’t entered the Trial Spirit Realm for training yet, right?” “Although our family has always had the rule of going for trials after completing the contract with a beast-man, you contracted your beast-man early, which was already an exception.” “Understandable.” Lily just wanted to say that I had a family leader as a mother and received preferential treatment. But I wanted to tell everyone that she, Lily, was the one who was the exception again and again. “Yeah, Lily has already contracted a beast-man, why hasn’t she participated in the trials?” Some dissatisfied peers began to speak loudly, “We all went through life and death to come out of the Trial Spirit Realm, why does she get to be so special?” Lily also heard these words and became a bit guilty. “My beast-man and I are of one heart and mind, we don’t need to cultivate our rapport anymore.” As soon as these words came out, many people laughed. “You don’t think the trials are just to hone the rapport between you and your beast-man, do you? The trials are also a way to improve your strength!” Just as Lily didn’t know how to answer. Suddenly a figure appeared in the distance, flashing past the blocking crowd in the blink of an eye, arriving at Lily’s side. This terrifying speed made most people present exclaim in admiration. This was Zack, Lily’s leopard-man. He held Lily tightly in his arms, raising his head slightly: “Do you think my strength is not enough, and Lily needs to suffer extra hardships?” No one spoke, all acknowledging Zack’s strength. “Lily’s special treatment is backed by me.” Zack made such a statement, then left with Lily in his arms. Before leaving, he glanced in our direction. But he seemed to not notice Kieran behind me at all, only looking at me. A sinister glance, full of warning. 4. I frowned imperceptibly. It seemed that no matter what, Zack was very hostile towards me. I still couldn’t let my guard down. Soon came the day of the family’s grand competition. According to family rules, every young member who had a contracted beast-man needed to participate in the family’s grand competition. The winner would receive rewards of top-grade magical tools and pills. They could also exchange this opportunity to obtain magical tools and pills for a wish. If it wasn’t too excessive, the family elders would allow and help fulfill it. Lily came specially to tell me that she was also going to participate in this competition. “Cousin, I drew you as my opponent. But my beast-man is very powerful, you don’t mind, do you?” “I do mind.” Two lives ago, I was called away by Zack on the eve of the competition, and encountered a group of out-of-control beast-men on the way back. After I died, Zack dealt with these beast-men and offered the crystals from their bodies to Lily. Lily’s cultivation increased greatly because of this, and she became the winner of the competition. And the wish she made was to receive Zack, this beast-man who had lost his contracted master. With the help of the elders and magical tools, Lily didn’t suffer any pain from splitting her spirit power, and got two beast-men. And my soul was completely scattered, reborn into my last life… Not expecting me to actually answer that I minded, Lily’s face froze. “Cousin, winning this competition, I have something very important to do. So, I must participate.” I smiled faintly: “Then why are you asking why?” “I…” Lily stammered until Zack came and held her in his arms. “Aria Frost.” He narrowed his eyes at me, “If you had been a little nicer to Lily, I might have considered letting you lose gracefully.” “But with you treating her like this, I have no choice.” At this time, Kieran silently exerted his pressure beside me. Zack was caught off guard and instantly fell to his knees. “Someone as weak as you,” Kieran slowly walked in front of Zack and squatted down: “Tell me specifically, how were you planning to make her lose?” Zack used all his strength but still couldn’t break free from Kieran’s pressure. In the end, it was Lily who actively apologized to me before Kieran let them go. As they left, their conversation clearly reached Kieran’s and my ears. “Lily, I’m sorry…” “No, Zack, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my fault, I’m too weak.” “Lily, I will definitely protect you, I will!” From that day on, Lily and Zack never appeared in front of me again. Until the day of the family competition. Lily stood opposite me, but showed no panic at all. I took the initiative to attack, and Lily was injured after just a few moves. Now it was time for our respective beast-men to take the stage. “Aria Frost, I hate that arrogant look of yours the most. Just because you have a family leader as a mother, what’s there to be so proud of.” Lily smiled strangely: “Everything you possess, from today onwards, will be taken by me.” As soon as I saw Zack appear, I roughly understood what was going on. Zack had taken a forbidden drug.

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On my engagement day, I discovered that my father’s affair partner was actually my best friend. Seeing the two of them embracing in the distance, I nearly collapsed. Instinctively, I reached for my fiancé Parker’s hand, seeking comfort. But I touched only the cold, tense back of a clenched fist. Confused, I looked at Parker. His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with jealousy and madness. Before I could react, he charged forward and punched my father square in the face. “Henry, you dare touch my woman? I’ll kill you!” Parker roared. I stood on a busy street corner in my engagement dress, feeling as if I’d been plunged into an icy abyss. My fiancé and my father were brawling on my engagement day, all because of my best friend. I couldn’t imagine anything more scandalous and absurd than this. All the guests stared in shock at the unfolding scene, their expressions a mix of concern and schadenfreude barely concealed by hushed whispers. Yasmin, my so-called best friend, sauntered over to me with a smug grin, looking me up and down. She didn’t seem the least bit flustered, just utterly pleased with herself. “Oh Hazel, why should you have everything handed to you on a silver platter while I had nothing? It wasn’t fair. But now, one way or another, it’s all mine.” Dazed, I turned to look at my mother, desperately seeking even a shred of comfort despite knowing she was another innocent victim in all this. To my surprise, Mom watched the chaos unfold with cold detachment. My heart plummeted. In disbelief, I walked towards her. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?” Tears streamed down my face unbidden, ruining my carefully applied makeup and painting an ugly, messy portrait of my life. Mom sighed, her expression devoid of the warmth she’d shown earlier at the engagement party when she’d held my hand and told everyone I was her precious darling. “Yes, I’ve known for a while,” she admitted flatly. “Why didn’t you tell me?!” I shouted, feeling like the world’s biggest fool. “What good would that have done? It would have only caused you pain. The merger between our family and the Parkers was never going to be called off. Did you have a better option?” I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and despairing. “So in your eyes, I’m just a pawn for this merger? My happiness doesn’t matter, loyalty doesn’t matter, and honesty from my own family matters least of all?” Mom averted her gaze, looking towards my father and Parker, who were being pulled apart by their assistants. “Hazel, what do you have to complain about? In this family, none of us have it easy.” I stumbled backwards, shaking my head vehemently through tear-blurred vision. “How wonderful. On my engagement day, one of the most important days of my life, my father, mother, fiancé, and best friend all betrayed me at once. What a pathetic excuse for a human being I must be.” With that, I turned and ran, ignoring the voices calling my name behind me. It was all too sickening. Every single person here disgusted me to my core.

When Parker returned, I had already smashed everything in our shared apartment. The servants cowered in corners, watching me fearfully, too afraid to intervene. I finally collapsed on the floor, utterly spent. Parker casually unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. The injuries on his face were stark. He looked down at me imperiously, his expression devoid of any guilt for his actions. “Are you done with your tantrum?” he asked coldly. I remained silent, glaring up at him with as much venom as I could muster through my tears. “Hazel, ours is just an arranged marriage. I thought we had an understanding. Who I’m with or what women I play with is none of your business.” Parker’s voice was weary, the injuries marring his once-handsome face making him look grotesque. I grabbed a half-broken vase near me and hurled it at his head. He dodged easily, letting it shatter against the wall behind him. Parker sneered, stepping back and gesturing to a servant. “Bring a mirror!” All the mirrors in the apartment had been smashed in my rampage. A servant timidly brought over a small shard that was barely usable. Parker grabbed it carelessly by the jagged edge and thrust it in front of my face. “Look at yourself, princess. Look what you’ve become. Disgusting. You’re nothing like the refined lady you’re supposed to be – just a shrew! How can you even compare to Yasmin?” I gazed at my reflection in the mirror shard. My ruined makeup mingled with sweat and tears, matting my hair to my face. Black tear tracks streaked down from raccoon eyes. I looked worse than a ghost. “You’re right, I can’t compare to Yasmin anymore. She’s taken everything from me. Congratulations Parker, you get to share a woman with your future father-in-law!” SLAP! Parker’s hand connected hard with my cheek. The force sent my head snapping to the side, slamming into the nearby coffee table. Blood trickled down from my temple, mixing with the colorful mess already adorning my face. “Shut your mouth, you bitch,” Parker snarled. “I’m sick of your holier-than-thou attitude. Say one more word about Yasmin and I’ll end you.” “As for your dad, how dare he try to steal my woman? I’ll make him pay. The family business isn’t in his hands yet anyway. Marrying you was already me doing your family a favor.” Parker shook out his hand and straightened up. His gaze raked over me, brimming with disgust. Just then, his phone rang. The speed at which his expression transformed was truly impressive. Parker’s voice turned soft and sweet as he cooed into the phone, his demeanor suddenly loving. Even though the person on the other end had just publicly humiliated him in front of dozens of people. A wave of nausea washed over me. I struggled to my feet and lunged at Parker, pummeling him wildly wherever I could reach. “You bastard! You said you loved me, that’s the only reason I agreed to this marriage! Otherwise, how could I have ever consented to this arrangement?!” Liars, all of them. Consummate actors who had staged an elaborate farce, playing me for a fool. Parker snapped. In a rage, he kicked me away forcefully. My back slammed into the already shattered glass, the impact sending waves of agony through me and leaving me immobilized. He stepped forward and viciously ground his foot into one of my hands, crushing my palm into the glass shards on the floor. “That’s your own damn fault for being so gullible. I said I loved you and you believed it? Don’t blame others for your own stupidity.”

I returned to my family’s house like a soulless zombie. The servants were nowhere to be found, leaving the massive mansion eerily quiet. My parents were in a standoff in the living room. “Henry, I can smooth over this engagement fiasco, but I want 10% of the company shares in return,” Mom said calmly, sipping her tea as she negotiated with Dad. Dad leapt up from the sofa, eyes blazing. “Mia, don’t push your luck!” Mom scoffed. “I’m pushing it? You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in your pants. At least have the decency to be discreet and not let Hazel find out. You’re relying on her marriage to the Parkers to gain leverage in the company. You could have any woman you wanted, why go after Yasmin of all people? Talk about poor taste.” Dad settled back down, casually smoothing his hair. “Hazel and Yasmin were such good friends. I was just… strengthening family ties,” he said with a smirk. Mom rolled her eyes. “You’re truly shameless. Enough talk – are you giving me the shares or not?” I stood silently in the foyer, tears rolling down my cheeks. So in their eyes, I wasn’t a daughter or even a person. Just a tool to be used for their benefit. All these years of pampering me were just an investment, like fattening up livestock. And now it was time to cash in on their investment. I slowly walked out to face my parents, my expression dead and hopeless. “So why even have me in the first place? If you just wanted a pawn, wouldn’t adopting have been more cost-effective?” Dad’s expression instantly reverted to normal when he saw me. He casually picked up an ornate ruler from a side table, weighing it in his hand as he fixed me with a stern look. “Hazel, is that any way to speak to your father?” Mom watched coldly, even moving to leave. I ignored Dad’s intimidating aura and turned to Mom. “You never loved me either, did you?” So all that maternal affection was fake. All that gentle guidance had ulterior motives. All those choices forced on me in the name of love were just cold calculations. Mom looked me over and sighed. “Hazel, coming home looking like this… it’s embarrassing.” The pain that lanced through me was even worse than when Parker had slapped me. “Embarrassing? Ha! Is there anyone in this city more embarrassing than Henry and Parker right now?” Dad slowly stood and approached me, disappointment etched on his face. “Hazel, you seem to have forgotten your place. We didn’t invest all these years raising you just for you to act so recklessly.” I laughed bitterly, staring at him through my tears. Even his fatherly concern looked twisted and grotesque now. “Of course. How foolish of me to seek genuine family love. I forgot – in the deep waters of high society, there are always monsters waiting to devour you.” Dad nodded, utterly unmoved. “Since you insist on being obstinate, you need to be taught a lesson. Go kneel in the ancestral hall. Have Chen bring the red cushion.” I looked up at him in horror. The “red cushion” was something Dad used to punish disobedient employees. It was covered in hard, sharp spikes that would shred your knees to a bloody pulp within minutes. Seeing my reaction, Dad smiled. “Hazel, Daddy’s in a very bad mood today. You’ve misbehaved – did you think there’d be no consequences?” I tried to flee this hell, but the guards outside instantly restrained me. At Dad’s command, they dragged me kicking and screaming to the ancestral hall and forced me onto the red cushion. The pain was excruciating, tearing through me. I fixed my parents with a crazed, bloodshot glare as they stood watching impassively in the doorway. Through gritted teeth, I spat out: “I will never marry Parker or stay in this family again. As long as I’m alive, I’ll stay far away from all of you and never look back!”

The guards had to drag me back to my room. Late that night, I heard the roar of a sports car speeding away outside. Soon after, someone entered my room. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I sensed them bend down to examine me closely. The familiar scent instantly revealed the visitor’s identity. It was Yasmin. She chuckled softly. “No need to pretend, Hazel. I know you’re awake. Your mom left the mansion, so I came to check on my dear best friend.” I slowly opened my eyes to look at her. That beautiful face was twisted with mockery and disdain. “Why are you doing this to me?” I asked weakly. Yasmin clicked her tongue. “Your memory really is terrible. Didn’t I already tell you? I want everything you have.” She paused, then added with feigned regret: “But I didn’t expect you to be fool’s gold – shiny on the outside, worthless within. Not a single person truly loves you. How disappointing, Hazel. You’re so pathetic.” “But now they all genuinely love me. They’ll do anything for me, forgive any mistake. From that perspective, I suppose I’ve won something real after all.” Just then, my father walked in and wrapped an arm around Yasmin’s waist. Right in front of me, they began kissing shamelessly before leaving together, wrapped in each other’s arms. A hatred deeper than the ocean consumed me, drowning out even the physical pain. I grabbed my phone and sent Parker a message, then waited silently for round two of tonight’s battle royale to begin. Soon enough, the sounds of fighting and yelling erupted outside. Things being smashed echoed through the night. I knew this was my only chance to escape. Ignoring the blood still flowing from my legs, I crawled and stumbled out of the mansion. The mountain road down was pitch black and terrifying. Not a glimmer of light to be seen. Yet it filled me with hope and relief. The frantic escape left my pants completely soaked with blood, leaving a trail on the asphalt behind me. But I couldn’t stop. Just as my energy was about to give out, a pair of headlights appeared on the opposite mountain road. Someone got out of the car and walked towards me. My vision went black as I collapsed into a broad, warm embrace. Then I lost consciousness completely.

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I have a twin sister. She’s tall, slender, and stunning. I’m short, a little chubby, and, well, plain. I was born one minute before her. I spent my entire life stepping aside for her. Until my wedding night, when I saw my groom pressing down on my sister, And heard her soft, breathless moans, as my sister flashed me a triumphant smile… I jumped to my death. Reborn, I found myself back at that moment, seeing my sister and my fiancé tangled together. This time, I calmly pulled out my phone and started recording. In my past life, whenever we had a family dinner, my parents would always scoop all the meat onto Tiffany’s plate. I’d be left with just a few leafy greens. Every time Tiffany claimed she had a stomachache, she’d come back from the ‘doctor’s visit’ sporting a brand-new outfit. Meanwhile, I was stuck wearing her old, unwanted clothes. At first, I felt hurt, upset that Mom and Dad were so unfair. But they always told me, “We’re the twins everyone envies in the neighborhood. As the older sister, born a minute earlier, you should always make allowances for Tiffany.” Slowly, I just got used to it. But then came college applications. Despite my excellent grades, Mom and Dad meddled with my applications, Forcing me into a teaching college – tuition-free and with a living stipend. Tiffany, who always barely passed, went into expensive prep courses for another shot at college, then got into film school after another year. I was resentful, but I thought I could just work hard, get into grad school, and reapply for the major I actually wanted. But when Tiffany was just a sophomore in college, she decided she wanted plastic surgery. Mom cried, begging me, her older sister, for help. My heart just melted, and I ended up working part-time while studying. A year later, I handed over $10,000 I’d saved up from my jobs to Tiffany. I had no idea that $10,000 was just the warm-up act. Tiffany dropped out of college before graduating, after hooking up with some rich socialite’s son and ending up pregnant. I, who should have been studying for my grad school entrance exams, was called in by Mom and Dad to basically be her personal servant – cooking, cleaning, and catering to her every whim. By the time Tiffany had ‘recovered,’ I had missed out on precious study time. Finally, I scraped through my undergrad degree, thinking I was finally free. But then Tiffany, who’d managed to worm her way into the entertainment industry, announced she needed a car, saying it was too inconvenient for traveling to film sets. Mom and Dad had limited savings, so they came to me again. I had just started working and was living in a tiny, dingy apartment in a sketchy part of the city. I truly had no money to give. Just as I was about to complain, my mom sat on the floor and started wailing, “You two shared a placenta… Tiffany barely made it, she’s been frail since birth. How could you be so cold, Audrey? Your sister practically sacrificed her life for you, and you’re going to haggle over a few dollars?” I’d been “educated” this way for years. And Tiffany was genuinely sickly as a child. That familiar wave of guilt washed over me again. So I gritted my teeth and took out a loan for a brand new luxury car worth $150,000, just so Tiffany could make a ‘statement.’ On top of my main job, I picked up a night shift part-time gig and spent my weekends cleaning bathrooms for strangers.

Two years passed like that. I was suffocating under the crushing financial pressure. That’s when Mom and Dad introduced me to Blake, a man with a disability, but with excellent financial standing. I hesitated for only a moment before I agreed to the discounted deal. There was only one reason I agreed to marry him: he’d promised my parents an astronomical sum for our marriage. That exact amount was just enough for my parents to buy Tiffany an apartment in the city. If Tiffany’s apartment was settled, maybe, just maybe, my parents would finally leave me alone. Even though I despised his disability, I kept thinking about how I could finally live freely, So, urged on by my parents, I set a wedding date. But on the day of the reception, when I went back to the hotel room to touch up my makeup, I saw Blake pressing down on Tiffany. My sister’s face was flushed, and she was smiling媚地 from beneath him. Tiffany saw me push open the door but didn’t panic. Instead, her moans grew louder. “What… what are you two doing?” I was trembling so hard I couldn’t speak. Blake stopped moving when he heard my voice, turning his head to glare at me with disgust, as if my appearance had ruined their fun. “What, can’t you recognize a man and a woman enjoying themselves?” Blake stopped and stared at me provocatively. I felt all the blood in my body roar. I grabbed a fruit knife from a nearby table and lunged at them like a madwoman. But how can a woman fight a man? Even a disabled one? As Blake easily twisted me to the floor, He viciously pressed his foot down on my face, snarling each word: “You ugly bitch, you actually have a sister that hot? Why didn’t you say anything earlier? I would’ve just paid Tiffany to be my mistress. Why would I ever marry a hag like you? Sleeping next to you makes me sick!” And my own sister, at that moment, didn’t help me. Instead, she just stood there, sneering: “Audrey, I didn’t seduce him, okay? He came on to me! But it’s nothing new, really. The world has always revolved around me since we were little, haha! What can I say? You’re just so ugly, hahahaha…” That night, I threw myself from the fifty-second floor of the hotel. After I died, my mom held up an insurance policy, joyfully telling Tiffany: “Oh, your sister finally died! Twenty years of insurance premiums, not wasted after all! This payout will get you everything you need to break into Hollywood!” Tiffany barely even looked at the insurance papers, just gave them a casual side-eye, then leaned sweetly against my mom’s shoulder. My mom took Tiffany’s hand and said affectionately, “Mommy believes in you. My darling girl is so beautiful, she’s definitely going to be a huge celebrity someday!” At that moment, my dad chimed in, “Honey, with our amazing looks, how did we end up with such an ugly duckling for our firstborn?” Tiffany smirked, replying flippantly, “Is she really my twin sister? It’s so embarrassing. Hahahaha!” Dead, I watched all this in silence. My heart turned to ice.

I woke up again to the pop of fireworks outside my window. New Year’s. New Year’s Eve. Mom and Dad were preparing our big family dinner, and Tiffany was curled up on the couch watching TV. “Dinner’s ready! Dinner’s ready!” I lay in bed for five seconds, then realized – I was reborn! I quickly took my seat, grabbed a fork, and started shoveling all the meat from the pot onto my plate. “SMACK!” A sharp slap landed on my face. I turned to see my dad, his hand still suspended in the air, looking stunned himself. “Oh, Audrey, it’s not that Dad doesn’t want you to eat meat, it’s just… leave some for your sister.” In my past life, whenever they said that, I’d dutifully only take vegetables. But round two, and I wasn’t backing down. I put down my fork, clutching my cheek, and ran into the hallway, wailing at the top of my lungs: “Dad, I just want some meat! Tiffany always gets all the meat! Just let me have one bite on New Year’s Eve…” It was New Year’s Eve, and everyone in the apartment complex was home celebrating. When they heard my wailing, doors started popping open, and concerned neighbors poked their heads out. Mr. Henderson, from the apartment across the hall, pulled my dad aside. “Listen, Mr. Miller, when raising kids, you have to treat them fairly. They’re both your own flesh and blood. You can’t hurt your older daughter’s feelings just because the younger one is prettier…” “Mr. Henderson, what are you implying? No, no, we’ve always treated both our daughters exactly the same!” I scoffed internally: *Dad, do you even understand what ‘treated equally’ means?* After the ‘meat incident,’ Mom and Dad did stop neglecting my meals, probably afraid I’d spread more rumors. But they didn’t realize that I was about to unlock another perplexing mystery from my past life. In my previous life, Tiffany was always sickly as a child. Mom said it was ‘born with it.’ And the culprit who supposedly made Tiffany so frail? Of course, it was me, her ugly, sturdy older sister. According to Mom’s theory, I’d ‘stolen’ all of Tiffany’s nutrients in the womb, which led to her inherently delicate constitution. But what confused me was that every time Tiffany would ‘get’ a stomachache, and Mom took her to the doctor, she’d return in a brand-new, stylish outfit. Then I’d look at myself, wearing Tiffany’s old, unwanted clothes, and it suddenly clicked. That day, Mom gave Tiffany a knowing look, and Tiffany, without missing a beat, crumpled to the floor. “Ohhh, Mom! My stomach hurts so bad! My stomach bug is acting up again! Mom… I can’t take it anymore!” Just as Mom was about to rush over and help Tiffany up, I dashed forward and scooped my sister into my arms. “Are you okay, Tiff? Come on, big sis will carry you to the hospital!” Mom and Tiffany were stunned, staring at my wide, ready stance. “Mom, Tiffany’s in so much pain, what are you waiting for? If you think I’m too slow, maybe I should go shout for Dad’s friends from work to come help in the apartment complex!” As soon as Mom heard I was about to make another public scene, she quickly agreed, letting me carry Tiffany to the hospital. After the doctor confirmed nothing was wrong with various tests, Mom insisted the doctor check again. The doctor grew impatient: “Are you nuts? I’ve never seen someone insist on being sick when they’re perfectly fine!” Finally, the three of us were practically kicked out of the hospital. And my thoughtless sister, thinking that leaving the hospital meant it was time for the next step – mall shopping for new clothes – kept tugging at Mom’s arm, demanding to go. “SMACK!” Mom landed a slap right across Tiffany’s face. Tiffany burst into tears. *Well, look at that!* Mom would rather smack Tiffany than let her go shopping, just in case a stray dollar might end up in my pocket! Fine, fine, no shopping then. Living this life again, I didn’t care for such petty advantages. No, a real payback needs a plan.

Time flew to the eve of college applications again. To avoid my vicious parents meddling with my choices, I studied like a madwoman, chaining myself to my books for the past few years. I earned a full scholarship and early admission to the program I’d always dreamed of. Tiffany, of course, still flunked out and had to reapply. And when she was a sophomore in film school, she declared she wanted plastic surgery. That night, Mom called, telling me I needed to financially ‘support’ Tiffany’s cosmetic surgery. I agreed on the surface, then, without hesitation, leaked Tiffany’s plastic surgery plans onto her film school’s most popular gossip page. Tiffany had always been entitled, vicious, and a total bully since childhood. She had no real friends, only enemies. As expected, once the news broke, the floodgates opened, and everyone started piling on, adding their own dirt. “Even with a full makeover, she’d still be D-list at best!” “That evil girl tried to poison her roommate!” “She hooked up with the city’s wealthiest heir in her freshman year!” “She was secretly buying knock-offs but parading them as designer to look rich…” An overwhelming tide of negative public opinion crashed down on Tiffany. She couldn’t take it, directly withdrawing for a year and hiding back home. Because I’d changed Tiffany’s life trajectory this time, she stayed cooped up at home during her graduating year. The incident from my past life, where she hooked up with a rich kid and got pregnant, never happened. I was spared the trouble of caring for her post-procedure. Using this period of quiet at home, I studied relentlessly, securing an integrated Master’s/Ph.D. program. On my very first day of grad school, Mom’s call, asking me to buy Tiffany a car, came right on schedule. “Oh, Audrey, you two shared a placenta…” Just as Mom was about to launch into her usual rant about how I, the supposedly ‘strong’ and ‘ugly’ sister, had ‘stolen’ all of Tiffany’s nutrients in the womb, I cut her off sharply. “Mom, if you don’t have medical common sense, go schedule an appointment with a doctor. Tiffany and I shared a placenta, but the only impact of insufficient blood supply is fetal deformity. Tiffany’s hands and feet are all there, her organs are perfectly fine. She’s thin because she’s a picky eater!” Mom froze on the other end of the line: “You… you ungrateful wretch! You’re her older sister! How can you treat your own sister like this?” “Mom, I need to write my dissertation. I’m hanging up now.” After shutting Mom down, a wave of pure satisfaction washed over me. So this is what it feels like to be strong. It’s amazing. I thought about my past life, where I meekly faced my parents’ harshness and Tiffany’s arrogance. And now, in this life, I could handle injustice so easily. Amidst the thrill, a hint of sadness lingered. Six months into grad school, I started dating a classmate. We were on the same level, had similar tastes, and shared common goals… For the first time, I tasted love, and it was beautiful. But I never imagined that this time, my parents would set their sights on my boyfriend. One day, I got a call from Tiffany. Even though we were fraternal twins, I just couldn’t stand her fake, sugary sweet voice. “Audrey! I heard you have a boyfriend! You didn’t even tell me this amazing news!” “No need, really,” I replied dryly. “Oh, but Mom and Dad love you so much! You’re the pride of our family! So, Mom, Dad, and I are planning to come visit you!” “You don’t have to…” “Great! Then we’ll be there tomorrow!” Tiffany finished her little monologue and hung up, leaving me with a strong, ominous feeling.

The next day, Tiffany, dressed to the nines, arrived at my university with Mom and Dad. Liam, oblivious to what was going on, warmly greeted them. But in the way Tiffany looked at Liam, I saw the same shamelessness and scheming I’d seen in her with Blake in my past life. *Hmph, that manipulative bitch, she’s definitely up to no good!* I stayed on high alert, constantly watching Tiffany’s every move and word. At lunch, Tiffany insisted I go with her to buy a milkshake. In front of Liam, I couldn’t appear too cold, so I reluctantly went with her. Once we left the restaurant, Tiffany dragged me all over the place. After the milkshake, she wanted BBQ, then a makeup store… Having been tricked countless times in my past life, I snapped to attention with her barrage of demands: *This is a diversion!* With that thought, I shoved the things in my hands into Tiffany’s arms and sprinted back to the restaurant like an Olympic runner. But by the time I got back, Liam was already gone. Only my parents remained, giggling and whispering conspiratorially. “Oh, with her looks, that guy must be blind!” “Isn’t that right? This young man is too stubborn. How great would it have been if he ended up with our Tiffany, with all her advantages! Can you believe he said he didn’t like our Tiffany?!” Furious, I walked up and demanded, “What did you say to my boyfriend?” “Uh… well…” Mom stammered, then smiled. “Oh, Audrey, that boy’s just average! Mom and Dad will find you someone much better!” A leopard never changes its spots. Ever since I was a child, they’d always found ways to snatch away everything good I had and give it to Tiffany. In their hearts, I simply wasn’t worthy of any happiness. I ran out of the restaurant, crying, calling Liam’s phone as I ran. But after a long ring, a cold voice answered: “Let’s break up. I don’t want to be with someone so manipulative.” “Please, let me explain…” When I tried to call again, I was blocked. My first love, destroyed by my parents and sister, working together… And just a week later, my parents pushed Blake, that same man with the disability from my past life, onto me again. “Good girl, you have an education, he has money, you two are a powerful union!” “Daughter, listen to Dad. If you just give his family a son or a daughter, what more could you want in life? Endless wealth and glory!” I scoffed internally. *A ‘powerful union’? More like a freak show!* *Wealth and glory? More like selling me off to fund Tiffany’s career in the entertainment industry!* In this new life, despite my best efforts to fight back, my parents’ true faces hadn’t become any less ugly, just less blatant. Beneath their phony mask, they were still so vile! Perhaps no matter how hard I tried, even with education, status, and money, In their eyes, I would always be their embarrassing, ugly daughter, Always a cheap pawn, a bargaining chip to secure Tiffany’s bright future! But reborn, even consumed by fury, I still acted compliant when faced with this marriage. From the blind date to the wedding reception, it took only a short month. On the night of the reception, I specifically invited all the classmates Tiffany had offended, Pleading with them to grace my wedding with their presence, as if I were apologizing on Tiffany’s behalf. Then I timed it perfectly, waiting until I figured Blake and Tiffany were in the thick of it, And with Tiffany’s classmates gathered around, I beeped open the hotel’s bridal suite door with the key card. “Well, Blake, you might be challenged, but you’ve certainly got some… unique talents, huh?” The moment the door opened, Tiffany’s sweet, breathless moans and their sickening flirting shocked everyone. They all crept closer, trying to get a better look. And I calmly opened my phone, recording the whole scandalous scene, every single detail. Just as Tiffany shrieked and tugged at the blanket to cover herself, I had already uploaded the video online. The title: “My Sister on My Wedding Night, Climbing Into My Husband’s Bed.”

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The third time I underwent chemotherapy, Asher Vance was at the airport, picking up Willow Sterling from her return. The side effects of chemo were pure torture, making me feel like I was living death. Even my doctor had gently hinted that late-stage treatment probably wouldn’t do much good. “You’ll be in immense pain, and it won’t prolong your life.” He was urging me to consider a dignified exit. I thought about it too. But I couldn’t. My daughter, Stella, was only four years old. I couldn’t let her grow up without a mother, just like I did. Asher Vance and I grew up together in the same upscale neighborhood. Our families were equally well-off, we were close in age, and even our parents had been close friends for years. Mrs. Vance used to tease me more times than I could count. “Harper, darling, when you were still just a bump in your mom’s belly, I already decided you’d be my daughter-in-law!” It was a long-standing family joke. As a kid, I didn’t quite get it, but I knew I really, really liked Asher. In high school and college, he was the most popular guy on campus, the star athlete, the one everyone looked up to. And I was the most beloved girl, the one everyone seemed to adore. When it came to being likable, I was definitely Asher’s equal. But I wasn’t likable to *him*. In college, he plunged into a whirlwind campus romance. Not with me, but with his classmate, Willow Sterling. They did everything every campus couple does: grand romantic gestures with flowers, sharing intimate moments over a single drink, kissing, and eventually, spending nights together. I only met Willow once. Asher brought her back to the Vance family mansion, declaring he wanted to marry her. Mrs. Vance, furious, threw Willow out, Asher right along with her. It was the height of a hurricane. The rain was so heavy it felt like it could knock you down. I saw Asher tumble onto the wet ground. Without a second thought, I grabbed an umbrella and rushed out. The wet pavement was treacherous. I slipped, and the sharp gravel tore into my knee. Blood mixed with the rain, streaming down my leg. But in that moment, I felt no pain. My eyes were fixed solely on Asher, slumped on the ground in the pouring rain. “Ash…” As I got closer, I finally saw Willow. She was drenched, her developed figure clearly outlined beneath her wet clothes. Her beautiful long hair plastered to her face, and her right hand was clutched tightly in Asher’s. “This is because of you, isn’t it? My mom disapproves because of you?” Asher looked at the umbrella I was holding over his head, but those were the only words he spoke to me. I stood there, stunned, watching him snatch the umbrella from my hand and, with Willow, slowly walk away. The hurricane raged. That day, Asher never once looked back. A year later, Asher and I got married. Three years into our marriage, I gave birth to our daughter, Stella. Seven years later, I was diagnosed with cancer. And Willow Sterling, who had vanished for seven years, returned to the country. In a SnapChat message from Willow, she called it karma. She was the only one who knew about my illness, besides my doctor. Because I begged her. “Just fifteen more days. After fifteen days, I’ll give Asher back to you, completely. Can you just…” “Can you let Stella think you’re her mother?”

The first thing I did after every chemo session was adjust my wig. It was too painful; lying in that hospital bed, I was far from presentable. But to the outside world, I was Mrs. Vance. Within my family, I was the sole heiress of the Reid fortune. Everything I learned from childhood was about maintaining composure and dignity. It was no different now. After fixing my wig and clothes, I didn’t look like a patient at all. I looked like a wealthy socialite just popping in for a routine check-up. “I just want a little more time. Time where I can still be myself.” “Mrs. Vance… Ms. Reid, based on human willpower, I’d say you have about fifteen days before you’ll need to be admitted. The pain management medication can only be administered in a special ward.” I knew exactly what he meant by “special medication”—something illegal outside of a hospital. Expensive, dangerous, and a way to lessen the agonizing pain at the very end. “Alright, I’ll be there.” Dr. Evans was a scholarship student my family had sponsored. He always treated me differently than he would a regular patient. “Ms. Reid, are you really not going to tell Mr. Vance? For this illness, family involvement…” “He’s not a doctor. What good would it do for him to know?” I forced a smile, the corners of my mouth stretching the skin on my face, bringing a faint sting, like a tiny blood vessel had burst. I instinctively touched my cheek. My phone buzzed just then. It was Asher. “Where are you?” “At the spa. Why?” I adjusted my voice, trying to make my lie sound more convincing. I heard Asher’s cold snort from the other end. “What kind of mother are you?! The nanny is calling *me*? Do I have to come home and deal with our kid?!” “Is there a problem with you handling our child?” I felt nothing, just answered him mechanically. “You know what’s going on with that child, deep down!” Asher hung up, tossing that line out like trash. I heard the roar of a plane engine and a cacophony of voices on his end. He was at the airport. Because right after he hung up, a SnapChat message from Willow popped up on my phone. The picture showed her and Asher intimately cuddled together, fingers intertwined, like they were already husband and wife. “Ms. Reid, I’ve arrived.” Where would Asher take her today? To the penthouse suite of a luxurious five-star hotel? A carefully arranged suburban villa? Or perhaps that cozy little cabin where they once found ecstasy? I imagined them tangled together, and a wave of nausea surged through me. *Ugh*. When I got out of the car, I couldn’t help but gag at the front door. The door swung open, and a tiny ball of fluff, my little Stella, rushed out and hugged my leg. “Mommy! Stella missed you so much! Boo hoo hoo!” Her adorable little face was streaked with tears and snot, wiping all over my dress. I forced down the discomfort in my body and picked her up. “My poor little Stella, why are you crying so sadly? Mommy will wipe it away.” My munchkin clung to my back, whimpering miserably. “Stella woke up and didn’t see Mommy! I called Daddy, and Daddy was mean to Stella! Mommy, I’m scared.” “Don’t be scared, Mommy went to buy Stella a present.” I pulled out the Frozen Queen hair clip I’d prepared earlier and tucked it into her hand. Little girls are easily pleased; she stopped crying instantly. “Mommy, look! Stella looks pretty!” “Yes, Stella looks beautiful.” A four-year-old wasn’t heavy, but for my current state, it was still a struggle. Before I even made it through the front door, a cold sweat had broken out on my forehead. My little girl noticed immediately and panicked, clumsily trying to wipe the sweat from my brow, clamoring to be put down. I was overjoyed when Stella was born. Besides being Asher’s and my child, her eyes and brows resembled Asher so much. But as she grew, I realized she was more like me. Good. She was more like me. My munchkin ordered dinner, and I, for a rare change, managed to get into the kitchen. As the scent of apples steamed through the air, the villa door opened. Asher Vance. Willow Sterling. And a boy. The boy’s hand was clasped in Asher’s.

“Why are *you* cooking?” Asher walked into the kitchen, first glaring at Maria, then letting his gaze fall on my hands. I didn’t stop stirring with the spatula, but he grabbed my hand abruptly. “Needle marks? I thought you went to the spa?” They were needle marks from IVs. My veins were difficult to find, and nurses often had to try several spots, leaving behind some noticeable traces. “Yeah, new treatment.” I tugged my sleeve down, lowering my gaze to the steaming pot. Asher’s mind was always so sharp. That’s what I used to love most about him. He could spot the subtle unhappiness in my childhood when classmates bullied me, and he could find hidden traps in complex business contracts. “You’d better not be messing with anything illegal.” Asher walked out of the kitchen. “After all, your parents…” “Enough.” I cut him off, my voice laced with sarcasm. “Are you going to bring up my parents in front of your mistress and her child?” I had never spoken to Asher like that before. His surprise was plastered all over his face, that handsome face I’d been obsessed with for years, shifting from shock to pure fury. He slammed the kitchen door shut and stared at me, his eyes burning. “How can you talk about Willow like that?!” “Oh? I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to call her that. Isn’t that what she is?” I scooped the apple pork chops onto a plate. This used to be Asher’s favorite dish. To perfectly suit his taste, I spent an entire summer cooped up in the kitchen, replacing my perfume scent with the smell of cooking oil. He used to say he didn’t like pampered rich girls, so I learned to do everything. My only moments of true indulgence were when I was with my parents. He always believed that even after marrying him, I remained willful and innocent. That’s why, before they died, my parents entrusted everything to Asher. They only asked one promise from him: never to divorce me, and to take care of me for life. And Asher kept his word. That was the most agonizing part. He wasn’t a complete monster. He had just enough decency, just that tiny bit of sincerity, to string me along year after year, day after day. Stringing me along as I watched him fly to the States again and again, watching him have a son with Willow. But we wouldn’t get a divorce. “Is that Harper cooking? It smells so good!” Willow invited herself in, breaking the tense silence between Asher and me. “I just got back with my son, Asher. I really didn’t know where else to stay, so I just followed him back to crash for a couple of days. I didn’t have your contact info, so I couldn’t tell you beforehand. So sorry about that!” Didn’t have my contact info? I remembered those scandalous photos she’d sent me and just found it amusing. I carried the plate out. Stella sat at the dining table, looking at me with a puzzled expression. “Mommy, who are this lady and this boy?” “This is… Daddy’s friend.” I wanted to use something truly vicious to describe her, but a sharp pain shot through my arm at that exact moment, like a clock chiming, jolting me awake from any illusion of happiness. Just like Willow’s uninvited presence, the pain reminded me. I only had fifteen days left.

Asher settled Willow and her son in the guest bedroom, which was very close to the master suite—the room he used to sleep in. After Stella was born, Asher and I started sleeping separately. When we first got married, I tried so hard to make him love me. We’d grown up together; I thought I knew his preferences. But day after day, I started to understand. I was just the villainess in some rich-girl-loves-the-wrong-guy novel, and Willow was his true love, his ‘white moonlight’. Nothing I did mattered. Asher said it himself. When he was drunk, he’d stare at me with bloodshot eyes and demand, “Do you really think I’ll love you just because you drove her away?” “Never. Don’t even dream of it!” I stopped dreaming. For the next seven years, I didn’t dream anymore. I just clung to that fifteen-year-old Asher, curled up, slowly living my own life. Too bad fate wasn’t on my side. I had just tucked Stella into bed when I found Willow waiting. She had dropped the humble act she put on for Asher and stood proudly in front of me. I heard she hadn’t left her career in these years and had become quite successful. She certainly exuded a sharp, professional edge that I lacked. When I was very young, I once imagined becoming someone like that. “How’s your health?” Willow asked, which made me raise an eyebrow. “Not good.” “I can tell.” A faint smile played on her lips. “You know, when Asher was making my bed earlier, he mentioned you. He said you’ve lost a lot of weight these past six months.” I was somewhat bewildered, wondering why Asher would say such a thing, and even more so why Willow was telling me this. Willow grabbed the hand with the needle marks and pressed down hard. The sharp pain snapped me back to reality. She leaned in close, almost whispering in my ear. “Your daughter… she’s too much like you. What you asked me to do, I need to think about it.” “What do you want?” “I’m not a bad person, and I have no interest in tormenting a child. The Vance family has a ridiculous amount of money; they can certainly afford one child. But, for the time you have left, you need to prove something to me.” “Prove that Asher doesn’t love you.” I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. The laughter grew, turning into a roaring, tear-inducing fit, so loud it even drew Asher out of the guest room. He stood in the doorway, watching me from a distance. This was something that needed to be proven? And *I* had to prove it? “Alright, Ms. Sterling, I’ll prove it to you.” With that, I raised my hand and swung, delivering a resounding slap across Willow’s face. The blow was so hard and crisp that her frameless glasses fell to the floor. I used almost all my strength. After the slap, I could barely stand. Willow was clearly stunned, looking at me with disbelief. And Asher, who had been standing at the guest room doorway, instinctively lunged forward, returning the slap to me.

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After graduation, I accepted the marriage proposal from Julian, my childhood sweetheart, who had been chasing me for eighteen years. That very night, he made passionate love to me, whispering words of devotion that felt as countless as the stars. But no sooner had I confirmed my pregnancy than he seized my family’s company. My dad was reduced to a janitor, and my mom was forced to entertain his clients as a mere hostess for their amusement. I clutched my pregnant belly, my pleas raw with agony, and demanded to know why. He just laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. “Eighteen years ago, your family merged with ours, and my sister was bullied so relentlessly at her elite boarding school that she jumped to her death.” “Now, all I’m doing is making your family taste a bit of that humiliation. What’s so unbearable about that?” He reached out, his hand cupping my face. “Tonight’s clients are the very same people who tormented my sister back then. If you don’t want your mother to be ruined in her old age, you’ll go entertain them yourself.” After an obscene amount of alcohol, I lost the child I’d carried for only two months. But Julian, instead of using the money to pay off my parents’ workers’ wages, bound them with contracts, turning them into his personal servants. I yearned for their freedom. I sold myself: 100 for a drink, 200 for a night. I endured this for seven grueling years. Yet, on the very day I gathered enough money, his mistress had a group of men corner me, clearly intending to violate me. My parents were brutally beaten to death. When I woke up, I shattered the wine bottle in my hand, the trembling shards resting against my wrist. But he was staring at his sister, who had returned perfectly unharmed. That’s when I truly broke.

Julian had barely stepped downstairs when he heard Mrs. Davies’s complaints and lunged, his hand clamping around my throat. “You gave Chloe cold porridge! How *dare* you!” “If anything happens to the baby she’s carrying, I swear, I’ll destroy you!” Ever since Julian assigned me the task of tending to his mistress during her pregnancy, the household staff, eager to curry favor with Tiffany, began to frame me relentlessly. It was only when he noticed my high temperature that he unconsciously loosened his grip. “Why are you so hot? Are you running a fever?” I merely squatted, scooping the spilled hot porridge into the trash with my bare hands. “I’ll drink more tonight. Don’t deduct my pay.” One of Tiffany’s ways to control me was to manage my parents’ debts. If she wasn’t happy, she could complain about anything, even rolling dice to arbitrarily cut the money I was saving for my parents. My only recourse was to drink even more at the evening parties. The more I vomited, the happier Julian’s sister, Chloe, seemed. Last time, after I was so weak from a bleeding stomach ulcer that I was nearly assaulted by several men, she even ‘generously’ added a few thousand to my payment. Now, only five more drinking parties stood between me and collecting enough money. Julian looked down at me, his jaw clenched. “Did you visit my sister this morning?” Seven years ago, after Julian revealed everything, I was forced to go to Chloe’s grave every morning to ‘repent.’ Thinking about what happened this morning, I weighed my words carefully, trying to find a way not to anger him. “Tiffany, she…” But the moment I spoke her name, he grabbed my collar. “Trying to frame Tiffany again? Who taught you such a rotten habit?” When Tiffany had pushed me down the stairs, I had only muttered that someone pushed me. He had punished me by forbidding me from eating for three days, supposedly to cure me of my ‘suspicious’ habits. Now, just speaking her name, he assumed I was trying to frame him. I closed my eyes, quietly waiting for his wrath to unleash. I couldn’t risk the fleeting concern I’d seen in his eyes moments before. A cough echoed from upstairs. Julian immediately flung me to the floor and rushed up. My lower abdomen screamed with piercing pain from the impact. I finally made up my mind, my hand trembling as I opened my phone and selected a flight. For seven years, my parents believed Julian still cherished me, and willingly remained at his company, holding the lowest positions, just to be near me. Their half-century of dignity, trampled underfoot. Just five more days, and I could take them away.

That evening, as I changed, Mrs. Davies, as usual, spat viciously behind me. “Ugh, going out to sell herself every day. It’s sickening to watch.” “Good thing Ms. Reed had the foresight to sever your basic function as a woman.” I ignored her, heading to the party. The dull ache in my lower abdomen grew steadily worse, until I could barely stand straight. The clients, startled, stopped grabbing my chin and force-feeding me drinks, instead calling Julian. “Mr. Stone, Ms. Reid looks terrible. Is she…?” They thought I was pregnant again. The night I miscarried, the pain had been just like this. That night, Julian had sat outside the delivery room all night, his voice raw with agony, demanding the doctors ensure I woke up. From then on, everyone knew Julian cared for me, but scorned me after learning about my family’s ‘harm’ to him. Yet, they dared not arbitrarily decide the extent of my punishment. Until a cold voice spoke on the phone. “She upset Tiffany this morning and received a small punishment. Continue.” This morning, Tiffany had forced me to take a whole bottle of medication designed to prevent pregnancy. “Only I can give him children, you slut! You ruined his sister’s life so badly. You don’t deserve to have children, not in this lifetime.” Blood began to trickle endlessly. I crawled to the hospital. The diagnosis: I could never conceive again. Later, I learned Tiffany had been so agitated because Julian had mumbled in his sleep the previous night, “Skylar, I’m thirsty.” She thought he still had feelings for me. I laughed, a desolate, bitter sound. She hadn’t seen how madly Julian had loved me before, so she couldn’t comprehend the depth of his hatred now. “Skylar, the eighteen years I chased you were the happiest of my life.” “I swear, you’ll be my most cherished treasure, always.” But his deceased sister. She made it all seem like a cruel joke. It was dawn when I finally stumbled out, clinging to the last shred of consciousness, seeing Julian’s car waiting in the distance. The hostesses behind me scoffed, unapologetic. “Still doesn’t know her place. She’s just an escort now, but she still gets a ride every day.” “You don’t understand. Mr. Stone orchestrates this spectacle purely to humiliate her, a constant reminder of her former status as a privileged heiress, now forced to play hostess and feign smiles for men.” I touched my belly. Four more days. For the remaining days, I desperately fed myself painkillers, not daring to miss a single party. I even forced more alcohol down my throat, as if doing so would make time pass faster. Finally, on the last day, after downing the last bottle, I exhaled the easiest breath I’d taken in seven years. Excitedly, I reached for my phone to call my parents, to share the good news. Just as I stood up, one of the men grabbed me. “Where are you off to, Mrs. Stone? We’re just getting started.” A group of men rose from their seats, converging on me.

As they pressed me down, I screamed desperately. “Stop! I’m Julian Stone’s woman! He’ll destroy you if he finds out!” The man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth, as if I’d told the funniest joke. “You might be ‘Mrs. Stone,’ but we follow orders from the one Mr. Stone *truly* cherishes!” Seeing his phone on a call, I instantly guessed who was on the other end. “Tiffany! Why are you doing this to me?!” Tiffany’s casual sneer was audible. “Your debts are cleared tonight, so I need something else to control you.” “Don’t worry, they’re all pros; they’ll make sure you have a ‘good time,’ in shifts. All you have to do is cooperate while they take a few pictures. No harm done, right?” Because of her, I could no longer have children, and now, in front of all these men, my dignity, my very self, would be stripped away. My eyes burned, bloodshot, wishing I could reach through the phone and throttle her. “Tiffany, if you let them continue, I swear, tomorrow I will kill you!” “You? Please. By the way, I have a surprise for you. It’s going to tear your heart out even more.” The next moment, Julian’s concerned voice came through the phone. “The floor’s cold. Why are you out of bed?” Her voice instantly turned weak and tearful. “Sister, just because you saved your parents, do you want to kill me?” But I was staring at my parents, hogtied, gagged, and dragged in, my mind reeling, breath caught in my throat. My dad was already unconscious, and my mom was looking at me with horror and grief. The men around me leered, closing in on her. I didn’t have time to explain. I desperately begged Julian on the phone. “Julian, please, I beg you, let my parents go! It’s all my fault, I upset Tiffany!” “You can do anything to me, just don’t touch them!” “Don’t let *anyone* touch them!” I screamed, my throat raw. Julian paused for a moment. “What do you mean? I wouldn’t go as far as touching them.” I suddenly understood. This was all Tiffany’s doing. I fought with all my might, snatching the phone from the man. “Julian, I’ve saved enough money!” “But Tiffany, she’s tied up my parents, and she’s got a bunch of men trying to…” Before I could finish, Mrs. Davies’s gasp suddenly came through the phone. “Ms. Reed, are you feeling dizzy again?” “Mr. Stone, Ms. Reed has been unwell lately, she hasn’t left the house and has been resting. She can’t bear such false accusations!” But I only watched as my dad’s breathing grew weaker and weaker. He had asthma, and now with his mouth gagged, his life was in danger at any moment. I frantically tried to think of what else I could offer. “Julian, I know you hate me.” “Just let my parents go, and I’ll turn myself in for murdering your sister, or I’ll take my parents and leave this city. I promise, you’ll never see me again.” “Never see you again?” Julian’s voice was sinister, laced with an unyielding fury. “Skylar Reid, your solutions are certainly decisive.” As my dad’s chest stopped rising and falling, and the men drew closer to my mom, I screamed and lunged forward, one hand protecting the phone, the other pushing the men away. “Come and see for yourself! The driver is right outside, just have him come in and he’ll know everything!” Julian suddenly laughed, his voice so cold it seemed to freeze the blood in my veins. “Chloe isn’t feeling well today. I sent the driver to get her medication. Did you plan this whole charade for today?” I froze, completely stunned, my eyes meeting my mom’s desperate gaze. Though her mouth was gagged, I could almost hear her say, “My daughter, your dad and I are dragging you down.” I suddenly understood something, and tried to run to her, but the men around me seized the opportunity and pinned me down again. “Haha, the daughter’s still fresh meat.” “Mr. Stone’s wife being played by us, just thinking about it feels good.” Obscene words echoed above me. I only watched as my mom struggled to her feet, lunging at the men on top of me, only to be brutally shoved away. Her forehead slammed against the corner of a table, blood gushing uncontrollably. “Mom!” Blood splattered on my face. Like a wild beast, I roared, shoving the men off me, and rushed to her side. But her eyes would not open again. Her eyes and nostrils were clogged with blood. A drop of blood splattered onto the phone, and Julian’s voice amplified. “Skylar, still acting?” The men around me spat, then pinned me down again. My mind went blank. I stopped resisting. Until my clothes were ripped to shreds, and I screamed out with every last ounce of strength, “Julian, I hate you!” Then, I lost consciousness completely. 6. “No!” Julian roared, rushing forward to stop me. I saw it, the look the hostess had described. No, it was even more profound. Julian’s eyes were bloodshot, his body trembling. He reached out to pull me back but didn’t dare get close, unable to form full sentences.

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Three years ago, my sister, Chloe, and I secretly married the Thorne brothers. I was married to Dominic Thorne, the CEO, and Chloe married his younger brother, Leo Thorne, the VP. One night, the brothers took Serena Hayes, the woman they’d always pined for, to a hotel. When reporters caught them, they called Chloe and me to bail them out. I was forced to wear an identical outfit to Serena’s, meant to distract the paparazzi. Instead, Serena’s obsessive stans dragged me into an alley and beat me to death. Chloe, who was supposed to meet me, suffered the same brutal fate. By the time Mom arrived, Chloe and I were already gone, our bodies lifeless in a growing pool of crimson. We had stopped breathing. Heartbroken, she called Dominic for help. All she got in return was Dominic’s venomous curses. “She couldn’t even handle a simple task like distracting reporters. What right did Ava have to live? She should have died ages ago!” I died then, but my soul remained, forced to hear his cruel words. My heart was ripped to shreds. Chloe’s soul floated over, trying to comfort me, saying Leo would surely come. Mom called Leo, only to be met with the same merciless ranting. “Serena was caught by the paparazzi! I’m busy doing damage control; I don’t have time for your drama. Didn’t you say Ava was about to die? Let her die then!” Chloe clung to me, her sobs echoing through the void, a raw, piercing sound. Later, news of Chloe’s and my gravestones leaked. The brothers, upon hearing the news, knelt before our graves, weeping floods of tears.

“Ava, Chloe, my daughters…” Mom sat slumped in her wheelchair, clutching two urns. Her face was a mask of hollow despair, tears streaming down, an endless torrent. Overnight, her black hair had turned white, wrinkles deepening, making her look twenty years older. After Chloe and I died, our souls didn’t dissipate. We lingered by Mom’s side. Hand in hand, our faces a canvas of brutal bruises, blood streaking our lips, our clothes tattered and torn, we remained in the gruesome state we were in when we were killed. We watched as Mom dragged her exhausted body, painstakingly arranging our funerals until the early hours of the morning. She lifted the urns, pressing them to her cheek, just like she used to hold Chloe and me. Tears, heavy and silent, rolled down her cheeks. “Ava, Chloe, why did you leave your mother? What’s the point of living without you? Once you’re laid to rest, I’ll come join you.” Her voice, raw and hoarse from endless weeping, scraped at my soul like a blunt knife tearing flesh, each sound a fresh torment. I knelt before Mom, my own silent sobs tearing through me. “Mom, Mom, Chloe and I are right here. Please, don’t do anything reckless. Please, don’t…” But it was no use. I was dead. Mom couldn’t hear my voice. The tears that welled in my spectral eyes evaporated into shimmering motes of light, vanishing before they could fall. Chloe embraced me, crying, “Sis, I can’t bear to leave Mom. I want to stay with her forever, so much, so much…” And I felt the same. As if by some invisible thread of a mother’s intuition, Mom suddenly stopped crying. Her gaze, unfocused, darted around the room. She murmured dreamily, “Ava, Chloe, is that you?” *BANG!* The door was suddenly kicked open. Mom flinched, startled, as three menacing figures barged in. Years of psychological trauma made her quickly hide the urns under the coffee table. “Ava Anderson, get your ass out here!” It was the Thorne brothers, Dominic and Leo, along with their delicate Serena Hayes. Dominic scanned the room, his face a mask of fury. “Ava, I told you to lead the reporters away, and you couldn’t even manage that simple task. What good are you to me? I might as well have adopted a dog!” “Now look! The reporters got pictures of Serena, and she’s so upset she can’t eat. This is all your fault. Get out here right now and apologize to Serena!” Leo searched room by room. Chloe clutched my hand, pressing close to me. Even in death, she trembled with terror. Mom gripped the blanket covering her legs, her eyes swimming in tears. “Ava and Chloe, they… they’re gone…” She had cried for a day and a night, her vocal cords severely damaged, each word a tearing agony. Yet, when she spoke Chloe’s and my names, her voice remained gentle and overflowing with love. Serena suddenly feigned tears, whimpering piteously. “It must be Ava and Chloe. They’ve often had to help me distract reporters, and they’ve been through so much. They must be deliberately hiding from me.” “Dominic, please don’t be mad at them. I understand why they might hate me.” Seeing her pathetic act, Dominic’s eyes softened. He reached out to wipe away tears that weren’t there. Leo returned from his search, empty-handed. Seeing Serena so distraught, he exploded. In a fit of rage, he kicked the plastic chair next to him. It slammed against the wall, cracking into pieces. “You old hag, where did you hide Chloe?!” “Serena is being so generous, why don’t you hurry up and tell her to come out and beg for forgiveness?!” Enough, Leo! Mom wasn’t lying. Chloe and I were dead. You brothers and that bitch killed us! Chloe looked at me, confused. “Sis, what did we do wrong? Why do they treat us like this?” I held her close, gently stroking the back of her head, my heart twisting with agony. The only mistake we sisters ever made was marrying those beasts! *** Chapter Two Eight years ago, Dominic and I met at a student club meeting. From that day on, he deliberately created opportunities for us to spend time together. Soon, we grew close. On the night of the Freshman Orientation Week welcome party, Dominic played and sang on stage, drawing cheers from all the girls in the audience. I watched, captivated. When the song ended, he picked up the microphone, holding a bouquet of flowers, and hurried down to me. He knelt on one knee, presenting the flowers. “Princess, may I be your prince?” The hall erupted in applause. “Say yes! Say yes!” The unexpected surprise made my mind go blank. I covered my mouth, tears of joy welling up, and took the flowers, nodding vigorously through my tears. After graduation, we married smoothly, and Chloe and Leo also tied the knot. Our marriage was good at first. It wasn’t until last year, when Serena returned from overseas, that I learned she was Dominic and Leo’s first love, the one they’d always pined for. They had loved Serena for many years, but she was always out of reach. From then on, Dominic and Leo frequently visited Serena, sometimes not even coming home at night. I even caught them both entering a hotel with Serena. Dominic explained it was for work, saying their company was planning to promote Serena heavily. As it happened more often, he became irritable, even slamming the door and staying away for weeks. Chloe tearfully confided in me that Leo no longer loved her. If she even mentioned Serena, he would hit her. I confronted Leo, but he told me I had no right to interfere in their marriage. I went to Dominic. He looked utterly impatient. “You’re already Mrs. Thorne, living a life of luxury. Isn’t that enough for you? Serena would never be so petty.” At that time, I was naive enough to believe Dominic was just momentarily misguided, that one day he would come back to his senses. After all, we had such a beautiful past. It wasn’t until Chloe and I were beaten to death in that alley by Serena’s obsessive stans, and I heard the brothers’ curses, that a harsh realization hit me. With Serena in their lives, there was no longer any room in their hearts for Chloe and me. Now, hearing Leo’s words, Mom suddenly lifted her head, her eyes burning with resentment. “Are you deaf? I just told you, Ava and Chloe are gone.” “They’re dead!” Mom shrieked, her voice raw. Her chin trembled, and her eyes were red and swollen. They say a son-in-law is like a son. Mom had always treated Dominic and Leo like her own sons. But now, facing the murderers who killed her two daughters, she could no longer suppress the hatred festering inside her. Noticing Mom’s unusual behavior today, Dominic and Leo instinctively exchanged uneasy glances, a flicker of surprise and suspicion in their eyes. “How is that possible?!” “No way!” The air thickened with tension. Mom glared at the two Thorne brothers, her lips trembling with agitated fury, about to speak. Just then, Serena knelt in front of Mom, her face a mask of false grievance. “Auntie, I know you don’t want to see me, but you shouldn’t curse your own daughters like that. I’ll leave right now, please don’t be angry.” “But Auntie…” Serena glanced at the stunned brothers, then turned back to Mom, pouting her lip, feigning hurt. “But after I leave, I hope you’ll tell Ava and Chloe to come out and properly apologize to Dominic and Leo.” “Even if your daughters were a bit thoughtless, as long as they admit their mistake, Dominic and Leo will forgive them.” “Sis! I’m going to kill her, kill her!” Chloe lunged forward, but my ethereal form phased right through Serena. Chloe slumped to the ground, a guttural cry tearing from her. “Sis!! Why us? Why couldn’t it be her?” In that moment, tears streamed from my spectral eyes. But just as I was about to speak, a resounding slap echoed through the room. I looked in astonishment, seeing Mom suddenly slap Serena across the face, shouting, “You vixen, get away from me!” “The reason they treated Ava and Chloe like that is because you ruined their relationship!” “If anyone needs to apologize, it’s them to my two daughters!” Serena tumbled to the ground, clutching her face, letting out a pained shriek. Dominic and Leo’s faces instantly turned pale with shock. They rushed to help her up. “Serena, are you okay?” Dominic clenched his fist, his gaze locking onto Mom, fierce as an enraged lion. His eyes burned with malice. I instinctively spread my hands, trying to shield Mom. “Dominic, what are you doing?!” He walked right through my translucent form, terrifying me. “Chloe, quickly, push Mom away! Hurry!” Chloe nodded frantically, scrambling to grasp the handles of the wheelchair. But her hands passed right through them. She tried several times, unable to grip anything, crying out in frustration, “Sis, Sis, I can’t hold it, I can’t hold it…” Before she finished speaking, Dominic’s open palm struck Mom’s face, knocking her off the wheelchair. Her head struck the sharp edge of the coffee table. Blood instantly bloomed. “You old hag! How dare you hit Serena?!” “No wonder Ava couldn’t tell right from wrong, always causing trouble. Turns out, the problem lies with you, old woman.” “Apologize to Serena right now!” Mom stared at him defiantly, saying nothing. Dominic exploded in a fit of rage. He grabbed Mom’s head, slamming it down, forcing her into a humiliating bow to Serena again and again. “I told you to apologize to Serena! Did you hear me? Apologize! Apologize!” I flailed wildly, trying to hit him. “Stop, Dominic, stop it!” But my hands passed through his body, again and again. Despite all my efforts, I couldn’t stop Dominic from hurting Mom. Chloe frantically jumped up and down. “Sis, what do we do? If this keeps up, Mom will be seriously hurt!” Then, she suddenly looked at Leo. *** Chapter Three Chloe rushed to Leo, falling to her knees, pleading, “Leo, I beg you, tell your brother to let go of Mom! Her health isn’t good.” She bowed her head, hitting the floor again and again. But Leo couldn’t hear her. He was holding a tissue, carefully dabbing the redness on Serena’s face, his eyes filled with tender concern. Leo glanced back at Mom, his eyes cold, burning with resentment. “Like mother, like daughter. You taught Chloe to be so deaf!” As soon as he finished speaking, Dominic strode forward. “Mom! Dominic!” Amidst my desperate screams, Dominic grabbed Mom’s hair, dragging her violently into the bathroom. Mom cried out in searing pain. Strands of white hair clung to his hand. I rushed after him, yelling desperately, “Dominic, let go! Let go! Let go!” I wanted to kill him. Six months ago, I’d caught him and Serena being intimate in their car, but I hadn’t hated him this much. Dominic turned on the bathtub faucet, his expression twisted with malice. “You old hag! I’m giving you one last chance. Call Ava back to see me.” “Otherwise, she won’t be Mrs. Thorne anymore.” Mom gritted her teeth against the searing pain in her scalp and spat at Dominic. “The biggest regret of my life was marrying Ava to a beast like you. I’d rather die today than let you see Ava.” “You don’t deserve it.” Mom absolutely loathed Dominic. Every time she saw a bruise on my face, she’d hug me and cry, blaming herself for having mobility issues and not being able to stand up for me. Now Dominic wanted to see me. Forget being dead. Even if I were alive, Mom would never agree. “You’re asking for it! Do you really think I won’t do anything to you just because you’re old? Go to hell!” Dominic slammed Mom’s head into the bathtub water. *Gurgle, gurgle!* Mom’s hands thrashed wildly, her body trembled violently, and she strained her head, desperate for air. But Dominic’s fingers, like bands of steel, clamped around Mom’s head, holding her immovably. She couldn’t break free. “Mom! Mom!” I stood right by the bathtub, watching Mom being tortured until she was barely clinging to life. But I was powerless to stop it. Oh, God, please, just let me get revenge on him. Just once. Even if it means I’m dragged to hell. Even if it means my very being is obliterated! I’d be willing! Please, God! “Mom, Mom…” Chloe reached out again and again, grabbing nothing but air. She screamed hysterically, bloodshot eyes nearly popping out of her head, on the verge of madness. Water from the bathtub splashed onto Dominic. He abruptly shoved Mom. She hit the edge of the tub with a dull thud. Her already weak body collapsed heavily onto the floor. Her face was ashen, her mouth agape, but no sound escaped. She was teetering on the brink of death. “Mom! Mom!” Chloe and I knelt before her, our voices hoarse from crying. Watching Mom like this, I could only kneel there, sobbing. “Mom, it’s all my fault. I was disloyal, marrying this beast, and causing you such suffering. I was disloyal…” Chloe and I cried until our hearts ached, hating the three of them to our very bones. But we were dead. We couldn’t do anything! Why, why?! You cruel fate, why do you do this to our family?! After almost two minutes, Mom slowly recovered, starting to cough violently, as if her lungs would come out. She spat out the water she had choked on, and her body began to convulse violently, left with barely a breath after Dominic’s torture. Chloe wept tears of joy. “Sis, Sis, Mom’s alive! She’s alive!” I let out a shaky breath. I was so afraid Mom wouldn’t make it. A raw, bald patch marred her scalp. Large clumps of white hair lay scattered beside her. Dominic had ripped these directly from Mom’s head. Mom lay on the floor, her eyes devoid of light. But when she saw the urns on the coffee table, her gaze softened with maternal love again. Those were Chloe’s and my ashes. They were the only things we sisters had left for Mom. She cherished them more than life itself. Serena followed Mom’s gaze, saw the urns, and immediately ran over, picking them up, examining them closely. “Give them back!” Mom frantically crawled forward, oblivious to her frail body. *** Chapter Four Mom painstakingly crawled to Serena. She looked up, pressing her hands together in a pleading gesture, her eyes red and swollen from crying. “Please, I beg you, give them back to me. I’m begging you…” But before she finished speaking, Serena ripped open the urn. Inside were two smaller bottles, each containing Chloe’s and my ashes. “No!” Amidst Mom’s desperate, hoarse shriek, Serena’s face contorted with disgust. “Auntie, it’s just some powder. Why are you so dramatic? Fine, since you want it so badly, I’ll give it back to you.” Serena extended the urn to Mom. Mom, trembling with excitement, reached out to take it. Just as her fingers brushed against it, Serena let go. The urn slipped past Mom’s fingertips and crashed to the floor. *CRACK!* It shattered into pieces. “No!” Mom cried out, trying to scoop up the scattered ashes. But Dominic’s grip on her head tightened, forcing her face down onto the floor, mercilessly grinding it against the ground. “Let me go! I can’t let Ava and Chloe…” Dominic’s hand lashed out, slapping Mom hard across the face. He roared, “Shut up! Stop pretending! How could that be their ashes?!” My heart turned to stone as I stared at him. Dominic and Leo were company executives; they had plenty of people working for them. A simple check would have revealed the truth. But they didn’t care enough to investigate. Mom didn’t answer Dominic, frantically trying to scoop the ashes with her hands. “Ava, Chloe, don’t be afraid. Mom is here. Mom won’t let you be without a home even in death.” “Auntie, I’m so sorry! I’ll go get a broom and sweep it up right away.” Serena’s arm brushed a switch on the wall. The ceiling fan roared to its highest setting. A powerful gust of wind immediately swept down. The handful of ashes Mom had just gathered were blown away by the strong current, slipping through her fingers. The ashes on the floor scattered everywhere. She couldn’t catch them. “No, no. My daughters, my daughters…” Mom cried out in gut-wrenching despair. At that moment, even though I was already dead, my heart twisted with excruciating pain. “Sis, Sis…” I snapped my head up, horrified to see Chloe’s body shimmering, fading with the wind. The scattering ashes meant Chloe’s soul was dissipating. “Chloe, Chloe…” I rushed forward, reaching for Chloe’s hand. But at my touch, she disintegrated like fine sand. Gone. I couldn’t hold on. Because my own ethereal body was slowly disappearing too. “Sis, we’re fading away. But I… I can’t bear to leave Mom. She’s old, and she has mobility issues. What will she do if we’re both gone…” I turned back to look at our battered mother, my heart ripped to shreds. “I can’t bear it either.” The ashes on the floor were being blown towards the window. “Ava, Chloe!” A powerful surge of maternal love ignited a surprising strength within Mom. Her body suddenly erupted with astonishing power. She crawled forward with desperate speed. Before I could react, she had already grasped the windowsill. It was dozens of stories high; jumping meant certain death. But Mom didn’t hesitate for a second. She flung herself out, reaching out to grab Chloe’s and my ashes. “Ava, Chloe, Mom is so sorry. Mom is coming to join you now…” “Mom, no!” “Mom!” Chloe and I immediately rushed to the window. My hand was almost reaching Mom. Just as I was about to touch her, my hand suddenly dissipated. A chilling cold enveloped my entire being. “Mom!” My scream ripped through the air. My ethereal body, from transparent, became real. Dominic turned, his face filled with utter astonishment, staring directly at my suddenly visible form. His eyes widened in shock, almost bursting from their sockets. “Av-Ava?!” At the same time, Leo crumpled to the floor, a pathetic heap. “Sister-in-law?!” *** Chapter Five “Dominic, what did you just shout?” Serena walked to the window, staring intently at Dominic. Dominic snapped back to reality, his expression still blank, his words fumbling. “I… I think I just saw Ava Anderson. She was standing right here.” “Here?”

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I was reborn, and so was Blake. In our last life, we were the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes. I was a master of investment, my wealth limitless. He was an artist, his works endless. I often made time and spent money to help him host art exhibitions, and he never refused to accompany me to social and business gatherings. Until I became a business mogul and he a top artist, our lives were harmonious, filled with mutual respect. Then, during an outdoor sketching trip, heavy rain triggered a mudslide. We were swallowed whole, perishing together. Reborn again, he shamelessly declared in front of everyone, “Vivian is all about money, crude and shallow. We artists pursue real thought and artistic expression, something vulgar people just wouldn’t get.” Watching Blake tenderly hold Daisy’s hand while they painted, I finally understood. He wanted a different life. Well, I’d give him exactly that. “Blake, you and Vivian have been together for three years. When are you getting married?” “She values money too much; it makes me sick. Vivian and I aren’t from the same world. Dating is one thing, but for marriage, I need someone more suitable.” Blake casually lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and nonchalantly uttered these words to the guys in front of him. “Yeah, right. Our Blake is going to be an artist. Vivian, on the other hand, spends all day mingling with men at business dinners. She calls it networking for money, but who knows what her actual relationship with those men is?” “Alright, enough. She’s not like that. Just try to keep your distance from her from now on.” Blake simply stomped out his cigarette, his face completely devoid of anger. My whole body trembled with rage, my chest tight as if I couldn’t breathe, my mind a blank. The first thing I did after being reborn was rush here from a business dinner. Because on this very day in our last life, it was Blake and my third-anniversary. He had organized an art exhibition especially for me at the gallery, proposing to me in front of everyone and speaking of his deep love for me over the past three years. Remembering all that, I’d chugged half a bottle of vodka to leave the dinner, my stomach churning and aching relentlessly. But the thought of seeing Blake soon had momentarily suppressed the pain, filling me with excitement and joy. The reality was, I stood backstage at the gallery, listening to Blake and his friends ridicule and insult me. “Brother Blake, your paintings are so beautiful! Can you teach me?” A female voice reached my ears. A girl in a white dress, holding a drawing board, walked towards Blake, her smile blooming like a flower. Blake’s usually sharp eyes suddenly softened, his voice mellowing. He stepped forward, taking her hand holding the paintbrush, and guiding it across the canvas. “Daisy, this exhibition is specifically for you. You can learn anything you want, I’ll teach you.” “Daisy is so hardworking and talented. She’ll definitely be a renowned artist someday.” His large, strong hand gently enveloped her small, delicate one. Daisy was almost cradled in Blake’s arm, both of them smiling happily. The scene before me stung my eyes. I shifted my gaze, only then realizing that all the paintings around me were of that girl in the white dress; none had anything to do with me. In that instant, I knew. Blake had been reborn too. He wanted a new life. After we got married in the previous life, I had once seen a photo in Blake’s drawer. It was of him and this girl in the white dress. They sat under a blossoming tree, heads together, gazes locked. They looked like a couple straight out of a romance movie, perfectly in sync. Back then, Blake told me she was just a junior student, that they often collaborated, and their relationship was slightly more intimate than casual acquaintances. Now I knew. This girl, Daisy, was his new choice after rebirth.

In my last life, I felt like I was always looking up to Blake, spending my whole life chasing his shadow. In high school, he excelled at painting, sweeping almost every art award. His voice always echoed from the school radio station, deep and clear. His figure was always on the school awards stage, tall and upright, his youthful back always straight and strong. I just looked up at him and his paintings, harboring a single thought: to earn tons and tons of money, to host countless exhibitions for him so his brilliant art could be seen by the world. Later, he went to a top art university to hone his painting skills, and I chose finance. To earn money, to forge more connections, I attended eight business dinners a day, holding my breath and chugging down cheap bottled liquor, only to spend hours in the restroom, throwing up until I was dizzy and disoriented. I did all this to make myself excellent enough, to be capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Blake. I spared no expense, investing heavily in Blake’s exhibitions, securing better resources for him, and introducing him to influential people in the art world. Looking back now, my last life felt like I lived entirely for Blake. I was like a pathetic dog begging for scraps; all he had to do was crook a finger, and I’d eagerly rush to him. It was time for me to be myself again, to start a new life. I turned and walked away, heading home to put on exquisite makeup and a stunning dress, ready for the evening’s cocktail party. Just as I opened the door, about to head downstairs to hail a cab, I saw Blake standing at the entrance. He wore a white suit, sleek gold-rimmed glasses, his hair meticulously combed back. Refined and incredibly handsome, this image had made my heart flutter countless times. But seeing him again, my heart was calm as still water, without a ripple. Seeing my lack of reaction, Blake spoke first, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. “I promised to take you to the business dinner tonight. Let’s go.” He subtly glanced at my high heels, then extended his hand towards me. “Be careful on the stairs with those heels. Don’t fall.” I once thought these small gestures, hidden within his actions, were signs of his care, his love and protection for me. Only after years of being together did I realize that his meticulousness, his adherence to promises, his good manners, and so on, were simply because that’s who he was. He inherently possessed these qualities; he didn’t become this way *because of* me. Blake opened the car door for me, shielding my head as I slipped into the back seat. A female voice drifted from the front, clear and delicate. “Hello, ma’am, I’m Blake’s junior, Daisy. I’d love to learn more about the world. Could you take me along to see what a business party is like?” Daisy looked at me with crescent-shaped eyes, but there was no real smile in them, only a hint of challenge. Having spent so many years in the finance world, I’d seen all kinds of people. For a girl like her, I wasn’t going to stoop to her level. To my surprise, before I could even speak, Blake interjected, trying to smooth things over for her. “You know, your heavy makeup really does make you look older. Just bring her along. Your business dinners aren’t exactly high society, are they?” I scoffed, then closed my eyes to rest, ignoring both of them.

The two followed me into the private room. The eyes of everyone in the room immediately focused on the three of us. Many of my business partners were there; they naturally knew my relationship with Blake. But now, Blake stood behind me, and Daisy shyly looped her arm through his. Blake’s eyes held a hint of indulgence, and he gently comforted her, telling her not to be afraid. I chuckled inwardly. In my previous life, no matter how much I tried to please Blake, he always remained aloof and indifferent. It turns out he preferred this ‘innocent damsel’ act. “Vivian, this is…” Someone in the room asked. I smoothed my slightly tousled curls and replied casually, “Daisy. My boyfriend’s new girlfriend.” Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. Blake’s face stiffened, turning an uncomfortable shade of purple. To ease the awkwardness, he stepped forward, pulled out a chair for me, and politely smiled at everyone, saying, “Vivian loves to joke. Please don’t take her seriously.” “Yeah, it’s just a joke.” I gave them both a meaningful look, then decided not to embarrass them further. Once seated, I busied myself chatting with partners about new investment projects, maintaining professional appearances. Blake and Daisy, meanwhile, were openly intimate, laughing and talking. When the food and drinks arrived, Daisy picked up her forks and began eating without a care. Blake watched her tenderly, even reaching out to pat her back, urging her to eat slowly so she wouldn wouldn’t choke. My heart ached. I remembered his art exhibition’s appreciation dinner in our last life. I hadn’t eaten all day and was dizzy from low blood sugar. I just wanted to grab some food from the table to feel better. But he had slapped the forks right out of my hand, his voice stern. “With so many people here, eating before everyone else is incredibly rude. What will people think of you? What will they say about me behind my back?” I used to think that as an artist, he was just incredibly particular about table etiquette. Now I knew, his strict demands were only for me. “Looks like our little sister is hungry! We don’t have so many rules here. Let’s all have a drink and eat!” someone in the crowd noticed Daisy’s actions and spoke up to ease the atmosphere. “Daisy, you’re still young. Don’t drink alcohol. I’ll pour you some juice.” Blake downed the wine that was originally in Daisy’s glass and then filled it with juice, placing it in front of her. Everyone raised their glasses, waiting for Daisy’s move. Daisy picked up her juice-filled glass, suddenly stood up, and her hand holding the glass tilted in my direction. Instantly, the liquid splashed out, drenching my face. Sticky liquid ran down my cheeks. Daisy rushed over with a wet wipe, vigorously scrubbing my makeup off while apologizing. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t stable, I was so clumsy! Let me help you wipe the juice. I’m so, so sorry!” Daisy’s smug smile vanished in an instant; all her actions were clearly intentional. I didn’t want to stoop to her level, but that didn’t mean I would always back down. I grabbed her wrist, picked up my own drink, and splashed it all over her face. She might have choked. I snatched the wet wipe she’d used to smear my makeup and shoved it into her mouth. “Are you choking, little sister? Let me help you wipe.” “Vivian, you’re going too far!” Daisy burst into tears. Blake stepped forward and forcefully pushed my shoulder, pulling Daisy into his embrace. “Daisy didn’t mean to do it. Do you have to be so petty? Someone as narrow-minded as you can only make friends with these uncultured, crude people who just drink and brag all day!” Having been with him for years, I knew Blake’s emotional intelligence was usually high; he wouldn’t easily offend anyone. But now, for Daisy, he had just insulted every finance professional in the room. “Mr. Blake, what do you mean by ‘uncultured, crude people’? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Someone, offended by his words, questioned him. “What’s inappropriate about it? What kind of depth do you people have? You just stumble into some money through luck. Compared to us artists, you’re absolutely nowhere!” Blake’s face turned red with anger, speaking recklessly. His words infuriated everyone present. My face was grim. I didn’t hesitate, raising my hand and delivering a sharp slap directly across his face. Blake froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. “No one invited you to this party. You both shamelessly elbowed your way in.”

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My husband personally sent me to a reform school for the sake of his childhood sweetheart. I was abused to death there, while he threw a lavish birthday party for his true love. A year later, he finally drove to pick me up and take me home. Later, when he was about to go on a date with his sweetheart, I kissed him sweetly and said, “Go ahead, darling. I’ll wait for you to come back.” He was very pleased: “Sending you to that reform school was the right decision after all.” I smiled faintly: “Yes, darling.” But what he didn’t know was that this person wasn’t really me. The real me was already dead. Chloe came to visit our home and broke the only thing my grandmother had left me. Looking at the shattered purple jade bracelet on the floor, I pushed her away. I didn’t use much force, but she fell to the ground, her cry bringing my husband running. Lucas immediately slapped me across the face and helped Chloe up: “Are you okay, Chloe?” The tenderness in his eyes and voice was something I had never heard before. Chloe leaned into his arms, quietly sobbing, “I… I accidentally broke Olivia’s bracelet. I’m so sorry…” Lucas glanced at the bracelet on the floor and comforted her, “It’s fine, that’s not important.” I stared at them in disbelief. This was the only thing my grandmother had left me. And he said it wasn’t important? My fingers trembled with anger, but Lucas just walked away with her in his arms. That evening, his assistant rushed over with a new bracelet. It was prettier and more expensive than the one that broke. But I didn’t want it. Lucas handed me the bracelet, telling me not to be so petty – it was just a bracelet, not worth getting so worked up over. I clutched the new bracelet, staring at him blankly, “That was my grandmother’s wedding gift to me.” My grandmother was the only one in the family who was ever kind to me. She had set aside this wedding gift, but wasn’t able to attend my wedding. Lucas just paused briefly, then frowned, “Chloe didn’t mean to. What do you want?” “I saw her take it out of the drawer and throw it on the floor herself. How was that not intentional?” “Enough!” Lucas cut me off harshly, “Olivia, there aren’t many people as petty as you in this world. You’ll say anything to slander Chloe.” I was suddenly at a loss for words. Looking at him was like looking at a stranger. Seeing my stunned expression, Lucas softened his tone: “Don’t be angry. I’ve already found someone to repair the bracelet. You can have it back in a few days.” Hearing that, I felt a little better. But I still couldn’t entirely let go of my resentment, clearly remembering the stinging slap he had given me without hesitation.

The next day, Chloe suggested going to see a movie and brought me along. It was a romantic film. Chloe cried throughout, quietly sobbing. Lucas wiped her tears and rubbed her back soothingly, pulling her into his arms to comfort her. I sat to the side, feeling like an outsider. The quiet theater felt like an invisible knife, slowly torturing me. When it was time to leave, Chloe said she had left her purse in the theater and Lucas went to get it for her. As soon as he left, Chloe touched her reddened eyes and smiled at me. She had finally dropped the act. “Mrs. Lucas, don’t you think you were quite eye-catching today?” I was in such a foul mood that I didn’t want to respond to her. Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, she began to size me up. “I don’t know how Lucas ever fell for you and actually married you.” “Oh right, I left him so decisively back then, I must have broken his heart. He probably married you just to spite me.” “He doesn’t love you anyway, so of course he doesn’t care what you look like.” My anger turned to bewilderment. Her words played over and over in my mind as I struggled to process them. My fingernails dug into my palms, the pain barely registering. I suddenly understood. So that’s how it was. No wonder all these years I always felt Lucas was too reserved, never telling me he loved me. It turns out there was always someone else in his heart. And now that person had come back, which is why he suddenly seemed like a different person. Actually, he hadn’t changed – he just didn’t love me. “Mrs. Lucas, why don’t you bow out gracefully? If you drag this out, you’ll only embarrass yourself in the end. I don’t want to be the bad guy here.” “After all, Lucas really likes me. With just one word from me, he’d dump you in a heartbeat.” Chloe was very confident. Judging by how Lucas had been doting on her these past few days, she certainly had reason to be. However, I didn’t want to give up. Lucas was the man I had secretly loved for years and finally managed to win over. At the very least, I was still Lucas’s wife right now. Hearing my response, Chloe sighed sympathetically. “You’re going to lose.” With that, she grabbed my hand and pushed herself down the stairs. A figure immediately rushed over and caught her in his arms. In that moment, I thought she was actually quite desperate. If Lucas had asked for a divorce, I probably would have packed my bags and left immediately. However, he didn’t.

He drove me out to the suburbs, and when I asked where we were going, he said he was taking me to meet someone. When we arrived at our destination, there was no one there to meet. There was only an old iron gate with a sign that read “Reform School.” I struggled desperately, trying to escape, but it was no use. I was tied up and thrown inside. Lucas stood outside the gate, coldly watching me, saying he would come pick me up and bring me home in a year. But three days later, I died in a cramped, stuffy dormitory. In those three days, I was beaten with sticks, electrocuted, forced to kneel for hours, made to roll on beds of nails, taught how to be a proper person, and instructed in the ways of female obedience. Bruised and battered, I returned to the dorm room and was about to lie down when the door was suddenly kicked open. A group of men dragged me from the bed to the floor. The leader grabbed my chin, looking me over. Someone said, “She’s quite a looker, boss.” He sneered, “Well, she is Lucas’s wife. Even with his poor taste, he wouldn’t choose someone too ugly.” “You’re unlucky to run into me. Who told Lucas to mess with me?” “He bankrupted my family. Is it too much for me to mess with his wife?” The lackeys chimed in, “How could that be too much? Lucas brought this on himself. Go ahead boss, we’ll keep watch.” “Keep watch? What kind of brothers are you if you don’t join in?” The man laughed cruelly and started tearing at my clothes. I cried and struggled, but with just one hand each, they could pin me to the floor, unable to move, at their mercy. Despair and anguish spread through my chest as I recalled Lucas’s cold expression when he left me here. And how carelessly he had said he would come pick me up in a year. Suddenly all my strength drained away as I stared blankly at the moldy ceiling. They took videos and photos, but decided it wasn’t enough – they wanted to call Lucas too. “No… please don’t!” I shuddered violently, then shook my head desperately, crying and begging him not to do it. The man laughed loudly as he dialed the number. Thankfully, Lucas didn’t answer. They tried calling several times with no luck. The man hung up and showed me a video. It had just been posted moments ago. It was from Chloe. In the video, she was holding a bouquet of bright red roses, wearing a birthday crown, sitting next to the man who had sent me to this place. Lucas turned to look at her, his eyes overflowing with tenderness and love. I stared blankly, forgetting the pain, forgetting where I was. “Tsk, sending his wife to a place like this while throwing a birthday party for another woman. This Lucas sure knows how to play.” The man put the phone away, lamenting that it was a shame Lucas couldn’t witness his wife being violated in person. They tormented me all night long. On the third night, I died in that dormitory.

One year later. When Lucas drove up to the reform school, the sky was already growing dark. A woman stood at the entrance, smiling gently at him. He got out of the car, and before he could get close, she ran over and hugged him. “Darling, I’ve missed you so much.” Lucas paused, then smiled in satisfaction: “How was it in there?” The woman tilted her head thoughtfully, then said: “Not bad at all.” Lucas brought his now obedient and submissive wife back home. He called her Olivia. But I was already dead. The one by his side was my twin sister, Sophia. I followed them back to the city in spirit form. Lucas was especially patient with his newly returned wife, telling her about the changes at home and what he had been up to over the past year. He told her everything, except about Chloe. But I knew. After death, my spirit had left my body and wandered the human world. I knew everything he had done crystal clear. Including every meal with Chloe, every movie, every intimate encounter. His change in attitude was probably out of guilt, wanting to make it up to me. That evening, after showering, Sophia put on a lacy nightgown and slipped under the covers, wrapping her arms around the man’s waist. Lucas instinctively locked his phone, which was open to a chat window. Sophia acted like she hadn’t noticed, snuggling against him like a kitten. Looking down at the woman’s cleavage, his Adam’s apple bobbed. As if sensing the man’s heated gaze, Sophia looked up, her eyes sparkling, red lips parted slightly as she let out a soft moan. Lucas paused, his eyes flickering. No longer paying attention to the messages popping up on his phone, he flipped her over and pinned her beneath him. I had thought that after a year, nothing he did would affect me anymore. But the stabbing pain in my heart at that moment was undeniable. My Sophia was now lying beneath my husband, begging for his attention, with a triumphant smile playing at her lips. The next day, Sophia went to a cemetery on the outskirts of town, stopping in front of a blank headstone. She placed a bouquet of jasmine flowers before the grave, her slender fingers lightly tracing the unmarked stone. A crazed smile spread across her face. “Rest in peace, sister.” “Your husband is mine now.”

Returning to the mansion, Sophia ran into Lucas dressed in a tailored suit, his hair carefully styled, wearing men’s cologne. She smiled at him, “Are you going out, darling?” “Mm,” he paused, then said, “I’m going to see Chloe.” Lucas and Chloe’s chat the night before had been cut short, and Chloe was upset. He was going out now to appease her. If it had been me before, I definitely would have questioned him and thrown a fit. But Sophia just kissed him sweetly, “Go ahead, darling. I’ll wait for you to come back.” Lucas was very pleased with this response: “Sending you to that reform school was the right decision after all.” The woman’s lips curved into a smile: “Yes, darling.” Of course it was right. How else would I have died? How else could she have taken my place? Sophia had liked Lucas for a long time. In high school, the three of us went to the same school. Lucas was the golden boy – wealthy family, top grades, strikingly handsome. There was hardly a girl in school who didn’t have a crush on him. Lucas and I were in the same class. My secret crush on him was the only joy in my otherwise dull high school life. I realized Sophia also had a crush on him when she started frequently coming to our classroom during breaks. Sophia and I looked about 60% alike, but in terms of delicate features, she wasn’t as pretty as me. Despite coming to our classroom every day, she never entered Lucas’s field of vision in those three years. When it came time for college applications, Lucas didn’t go abroad, but applied to a local university instead. Fortunately, after three years of hard work, I finally caught up to him and we entered the same university. Sophia, on the other hand, got sick and had to take a year off from high school. She was still in her senior year when I started college as a freshman. She missed her chance with Lucas. I started dating Lucas in the second semester of sophomore year. We got married after graduation. In all those years, Sophia never appeared before me. So Lucas didn’t know Sophia. After I was sent to the reform school, Sophia came to see me and somehow found out I had been abused to death. She made a deal with them. Later she got plastic surgery. When she reappeared at the reform school, no one recognized her anymore. Sophia took my place, while the reform school kept my death a secret. She came back this time to stay by Lucas’s side in my stead.

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